Across The Stars
by Mahler Avatar
Summary: When Ron and Dr. Drakken are kidnapped by the Lorwardians, Kim forms an unusual alliance to rescue them from beyond the stars. Epic Adventure/Drama/Sci-Fi/Romance set immediately after Graduation. K/R, Shego/Drakken.
1. Prologue

Beyond the orbit of Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, a disc-shaped region of space containing the leftover material from the formation of our Solar System some four billion years ago. 20 times as wide and 200 times as massive as the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, it contains countless celestial bodies composed of frozen ices such as water, ammonia and methane. Known as Kuiper Belt objects, they can range in size anywhere from a small rock to over 100 kilometers or more in diameter.

Occasionally, the orbit of a Kuiper Belt object may be disturbed by the gravitational interactions of the giant planets, and cause the object to cross the orbit of Neptune. If one should come close enough to Neptune, it can be attracted by the planet's massive gravitational field and sent on a new course into the inner Solar System, where it will become a comet.

It was believed that only the interaction of planetary gravitational fields, or a collision between two Kuiper Belt objects, could alter the trajectory enough to send one of these proto-comets toward the Earth.

Until today.

The alien sighed as the red blinking light on his computer indicated yet another negative result. His frustration was compounded by the many months of fruitlessly searching for an object of just the right size and composition. Too small, and it would burn up in Earth's atmosphere before reaching the surface. Too large, and its impact could devastate the planet, threatening the very civilization he was trying to save and dooming the future of not one, but two worlds. The destiny of two civilizations and countless billions of lives all depended on the successful completion of this mission. He shuddered at the enormity of that thought.

Turning back to his controls, he once again reconfigured the ship's sensors and piloted his craft toward the next object, only a few thousand kilometers distant. Suddenly, the computer began to beep, its green indicator light bringing a look of hope to the alien's face. The size of the scanned object appeared to be well within ideal parameters. His hope rising, the computer next performed a spectral analysis of the object. Although the size was correct, if the distribution of its frozen elements was not in the right balance, its trajectory would be flawed and hitting its ultimate target could not be guaranteed. He held his breath as the computer silently completed its analysis. A few moments later it gave him the result he had been hoping for.

Success.

Without hesitation, he manuevered his ship closer to the object. Within minutes, he had landed on the icy sphere. Upon contact, robotic grapples attached themselves to the frozen surface of the object, and a high speed drill was deployed which quickly bored through to its icy core. Once the center was reached, a robotic arm placed the alien's priceless technology package deep within the nucleus of the proto-comet. With a touch of a button, he activated the device. Rainbow hues began to emanate from deep within, its coruscating colors shining brightly through to the surface of the proto-comet's translucent body. With another touch of a button, the craft detached from the future comet and manuvered to its opposite side. He then activated a tractor beam and began to slowly accelerate until the critical velocity was reached that would carry the comet to its destination. The alien smiled as he released the tractor beam, allowing the comet to continue on its pre-set course. The automatic tracking and guidance system was now locked in on its target, a small city located on the planet Earth's North American continent.

Middleton.

The alien smiled as he turned his craft for home.


	2. Picking Up The Pieces

_Disclaimer: Disney Corp. owns Kim Possible, not me. Any new characters are mine._

* * *

The Lorwardian attack on Earth was over. Having been soundly defeated by the combined might of Ron Stoppable's Mystical Monkey Power and Dr. Drakken's new mutagenic abilities, the planet was busy picking up the pieces, both literally and figuratively.

The broken marquee over Middleton High had been repaired, and now read: _Down But Not Out, Except For The Summer._

On the other side of town, Kim Possible looked at the gaping hole in the ground where her home had once stood. It had been wrecked in the first assault wave of the Lorwardian war machines, just as she and her family had left to attend her high school graduation. She began to tear up once again as her father gently put his arm around his daughter.

"I know it's just a house, Dad, but it was _our_ house. Now it's just ... a memory. And all my Cuddle Buddies ..."

Dr. James Possible could offer only a wan smile. "Yes, Kimmie-Cub, but we still have each other. Homes can be rebuilt, new things bought, but _nothing_ could replace you, your mom or your brothers. Although I can imagine you might entertain somewhat different feelings regarding Jim and Tim."

Kim giggled. "No, Dad, the Tweebs can be a pain, but they're still my brothers. And I _am_ thankful that we're all still alive, and that Wade had a backup of all the data from my computer." She exhaled in relief at that thought, but quickly frowned. _Including my diary, which I warned him about not peeking into ..._

Dr. Possible was actually pleased with how quickly the reconstruction of their home was proceeding. If there was anything good about the Lorwardian invasion, it was that it had been during early summer. Rebuilding would be greatly eased by the longer days and good weather. And thankfully, worldwide casualties had been amazingly light as well. The Lorwardians had been interested more in world conquest than simply in wanton destruction, and their initial shock and awe tactics had been concentrated primarily on the world's communications and power systems. And unfortunately, out of revenge for Kim's prior interference, Middleton.

Although there had been many injuries worldwide, the death toll wasn't nearly as high as it could have been. Still, Dr. Anne Possible's services at the hospital had been in considerable demand. As head of neurosurgery, she had been called in for more than the usual number of head trauma injuries. Thankfully, Ron's parents had been more than happy to watch Jim and Tim in the meantime, while Dr. Possible oversaw the repair of the Middleton Research Center. Dr. Possible had also forbidden the twins from doing any further laser experiments in the Stoppable's basement for at least the time being. Mr. Barkin had been particularly upset at the Tweebs accidental destruction of not one, but two of his cars.

Dr. Possible continued to muse over the events of the past week. The alien attack, although incredibly brutal, had lasted less than a day before being soundly defeated. And by whom? By his daughter's goofy teenaged sidekick and boyfriend, and his own one-time friend, a college dropout turned mad scientist. All of the world's technology and its greatest armies had been helpless before the alien attempt to subjugate Earth. And two apparent losers so far as the rest of the world was concerned had defeated them in moments, single-handedly. He shook his head in amazement at the irony of the entire sitch.

"Well, I guess you can't judge a book by its cover."

Kim looked up at her father. "What was that, Dad?"

"Oh, just thinking out loud, Kim. It just struck me that when the chips were down, Ronald single-handedly defeated the Lorwardians, and Dr. Drakken destroyed their war machines. They saved the planet. And most importantly to me, Ronald saved your life."

Kim just smiled as she took a deep breath. "Yeah, he did. When I was knocked out, and everything depended on him, he came through for me." She thought to herself, _Yes,_ _for me, self-assured, headstrong, I-can-do-anything Kim Possible_. "Dad, I know he's always had my back, but this was so above and beyond . . ." A tear began to roll down Kim's cheek.

"Kimmie, what is it?" Dr. Possible asked.

"Dad, I love him so much, and I guess, well, I feel a little guilty for giving him such a hard time for so long. I know he's been such a goof-off before, and self-confidence has never really been his strong suit. But I've always known I could count on him. My feelings for him just seem so much ... _deeper_ now." Kim suddenly remembered what she had told her mother several years ago. _I know what's best for Ron, even if he doesn't._ She frowned as she looked off into the distance, where the sun was rapidly setting beyond the horizon.

Dr. Possible looked thoughtful for a moment as he considered the implications of what his daughter was saying. "Kim, it's natural to have suddenly stronger feelings under the circumstances. Your boyfriend saved your life and saved the world, which had been _your_ job up to now. You've both graduated from, well, what's left of Middleton High, and you'll both be eighteen soon and off to, well, whatever colleges may still be standing."

He then looked into his daughter's beautiful green eyes, eyes that reminded him so much of her mother's. He sighed. "Kim, I really believe that you and Ronald belong together, long term. I didn't always feel that way, though. There were times that I felt like you were like earth and he was like water ... which just spells mud. But I've sensed a new level of maturity in him now that I've never seen before. Just be careful not to get carried away by the emotional rush of all the recent events, and do something hasty. Your mother and I dated several years before becoming engaged, so be patient. The time's not right yet. But if and when the time is right, you'll know for certain. And at that time you and Ronald will have my blessing."

The shock on Kim's face couldn't have been more if she had just been hit full force by one of Shego's plasma blasts. Because deep down, she had to admit that thought _had_ crossed her mind. Ron had been her best friend since pre-K, her boyfriend for the past year, and now the rescuer of both her and the world. The next big step in their relationship didn't seem quite as big or as daunting now, compared to the events of the past week. But she silently agreed with her father. There was still plenty of time for that. Quickly recovering, she smiled as she looked up into her father's eyes. "Don't worry, Dad. Anything may be possible for a Possible, but I promise that you and Mom will be the first to know if Ron and I decide to ... take that particular step."

Her wrist Kimmunicator then beeped. Never before had she been so thankful for a distraction. "What up, Wade?"

Wade Load, boy genius and keeper of Kim's website, looked concerned. "Uh, Kim, is your dad there with you? I've got some important news for you both."

Kim frowned. "Yeah, Wade, he's right here. What's the sitch?"

"The wreckage of the Lorwardian spacecraft has been recovered, and it's being taken to the Middleton Space Center for analysis. But Warmonga's and Warhok's bodies haven't been found yet. There's no trace of them at all. I can't rule out that they were totally vaporized in the explosion when Ron threw them at their ship, but there should be at least some remains."

Kim's face went a shade paler. "You mean they might have survived?"

"Doubtful, but I can't completely rule that out, Kim. There's so little we know about the Lorwardians. Although a blow like that would have killed a human, it might have resulted in only major injury for beings like them. Global Justice isn't taking any chances though. They'll continue searching until they find them ... or not." A few seconds of silence passed by as the implications of that sunk in.

Wade then began to smile again. "But the good news is that that although the hull is pretty much toast, some of the spacecraft's systems are relatively undamaged, including its propulsion unit."

Dr. Possible looked as if he might start to drool.

"And both NASA and the government agree that you're the best man for the job of analyzing it, Dr. P, so it looks like it's all yours." He smiled as he continued. "As long as you keep Jim and Tim away from it, that is."

Dr. Possible beamed, then began to chuckle. "Well, I'll see what I can do about Jim and Tim."

Wade looked slightly uncomfortable. "Uh, Dr. P., they're not kidding. They specifically stated that Jim and Tim are under no circumstances allowed anywhere near it. Looks like their reputation has preceded them."

Kim just snorted, then burst out laughing. "Oh, just wait till Mom hears about _this!"_

Just then, a bubble horn was heard, and Ron Stoppable drove up on his scooter. It had been wrecked after he had accidentally crashed into one of the Lorwardian assault pods, but Jim and Tim had worked their usual mechanical miracles in quickly repairing it.

"Ron!" Kim rushed up to her boyfriend and rescuer and gave him a long, tight hug.

"Whoa, Kim! I just saw you earlier today. What gives?"

"I'll explain, uh, later. How goes the repair work at Bueno Nacho?"

Ron frowned and sighed. "Bad news, KP. Bueno Nacho has been wrecked so many times over the past few years that they've decided ... well, take a look." Ron handed her a current copy of the Middleton Daily Mail. The headlines read, "Local Boy Makes Good, Saves World."

Kim cocked an eyebrow.

Ron quickly redirected her."No, not on the front page. Look, here on page 2."

Kim's jaw dropped open as she began to read the article aloud. "Bueno Nacho stated today that after the recent total destruction of Middleton's Bueno Nacho #582, there are no current plans to rebuild. A spokesman for the chain stated that the decision was influenced by the rising cost of property/casualty insurance due to continued claims of partial or total destruction over the past four years. She further stated that this particular location seems to attract more than its share of dragons, mutant teens, super villains and recently, an alien invasion, and that the income generated by this location just can't keep up with the costs of continual rebuilding."

Kim could tell how devastated Ron was. "Oh, Ron. I'm so sorry!"

Rufus popped out Ron's pants pocket to plaintively cry, "_Oh no, no more cheeesse ..._"

Kim then spotted an ad on the same page. "Hey! Club Banana's having a fire sale! Up to 75% off!"

Ron's eyes bulged as he threw up his hands. "Kim, how can you possibly be thinking of clothes at a time like this? We should all be going into mourning! All the wonderful memories, the good times ... good times ..." Ron began to choke up. "A moment of silence for our dearly departed friend ..." He took off his cap and put it over his heart, while Rufus saluted with one tiny paw.

Kim was about to offer a word of condolence when Ron snidely continued, "And ironically, Cow-'n-Chow escaped without a single scratch."

Taken off guard by Ron's emotional about-face, Kim fished for something to say. "Yeah, irony can be so ... ironic."

"So, KP, I was going to ask you if you wanted me to stop by Bueno Nacho for some snackage, but since the Lorwardians kinda nixed that idea when they destroyed it, it looks like Cow-'n-Chow again tonight."

Kim's tummy began to rumble. "Please and thank you, Ron. I'll have my usual."

"I'll pick us up some grub and meet you back at my place." Ron let out a quick sigh of frustration as he shook his head. "Man, trying to take over the world is one thing, but destroying Bueno Nacho? That's just pure evil! Uh, speaking of which, we haven't heard much from Drakken or Shego since the U.N. medal ceremony."

Kim nodded in agreement. "No, they've been pretty quiet ever since Global Justice convinced the authorities to grant them a blanket pardon for all past offenses, provided that they promise to go straight and give up any further attempts at world conquest."

"Yeah, but do you really think they can? They've both been criminals for such a long time. You really think it's possible that Drakken can turn over a new leaf?"

Kim grimaced, then burst out laughing.

"What?" Ron queried.

Kim continued to smile. "What you just said. Drakken, now a mutant marigold, turning over a new leaf?"

Ron suddenly realized what a terrible pun he'd just made. Rufus popped out of his pants pocket and gibbered, "_New leaf! Oh, brother!_"

Ron simply put his head in his hand and sighed, "Oh, man ..." He began to grin. "Well, at least the world can count on me in the meantime. That is, if all those reporters can leave me alone." He began to swagger back to his scooter.

"Um, what was that, Ron?" Kim began to feel a familiar sense of apprehension.

"Yeah, since I creamed Warhok and Warmonga, the press hasn't given me a moment's rest." His smile now almost looked like a smirk. "Seems like they can't get enough of my essential Ronness, ah booyah!"

Kim began to frown as she realized where this was headed. _Oh, no. Not again . . ._ "How about you amp down on the ego a bit and we'll discuss this over dinner, Monkey Boy?" She folded her arms for emphasis.

Ron looked a bit crestfallen. "Uh, sorry KP. Didn't mean to come across quite like that." He got on his scooter with a little less of the pride he had just displayed. "I'll be back just as soon as I can, KP."

As he drove off, Kim couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu. Ron's track record dealing with sudden overwhelming success had never been too good. Hopefully she was wrong this time, but as he drove over the crest of the hill, nagging doubts hung over her like the rapidly approaching twilight.

* * *

_Well, will shades of Ron's past come back to haunt him? And what really was the fate of Warmonga and Warhok? Update soon._


	3. Chance Meeting

On the outskirts of Middleton, a certain blue-skinned erstwhile villain was once again surveying his freshly destroyed lair. But this time it had not been wrecked by his teen nemesis Kim Possible, nor her sidekick boyfriend, but by his onetime ally, Warmonga.

"Well, Shego, I suppose we should rebuild ... again. I'm just not at all sure why now, or where we should go from here."

"What's that, Dr. D?" Shego was in the remains of her room, searching for anything salvageable. After years of one destroyed lair after another, she had learned that she needed to keep anything of value far away from any of Drakken's abodes. This time had been no different. And yet, she had an inkling that this might be the last lair that would end up being gutted for a long time, at the least for the time being.

Dr. Drakken continued his plaintive meanderings. "Well, I had always hoped to eventually take over the world, but now I ended up, uh, saving it instead."

"But not without the sidekick's help, Dr. D." Shego replied. _Whoa. Dr. D and Stoppable saving the world, and not little Miss Priss for once. Who would've ever guessed that?_

"Yes, of course, the sidekick ..." He desperately tried to remember Ron's name, but as usual came up short. "Yes, Rob was quite a bit of help taking out the Lorwardians while I took care of their battle robots."

Shego sighed. "That's Ron. His name is _Ron_. _Ron Stoppable. _I'm sure there's some deep-rooted psychological reason why you can't remember his name."

"Now, don't get lippy, Shego. I'm just glad that for once we were all on the same side. And we won, didn't we?"

Shego gave him a rare, thoughtful look. "Yeah, we did. The sidekick really _did _step up, monkey-style, and your Super High Pollinator mutagen took care of the rest." One of Drakken's tendrils began to wrap itself around Shego's waist. "Hey! What did I tell you about getting fresh?" She lit a hand in warning.

Immediately backing off, Drakken apologized. "Sorry, Shego. My vines seem to have a mind of their own."

Shego shot back, "Yeah, well watch it. It really spooks me out when you do that."

She continued to rummage through the debris. Then she found what she had been looking for. She picked up the last remaining plasma-singed photo and thought back to when it had been taken, so many months ago. That modified Attitudinator had briefly turned her from evil into good, allowing her and Kim to become real friends for the first and only time. Her face softened as she remembered the day they had their pictures taken in that photo booth. Then she pursed her lips in a brief display of ... what? Anger? And over what? That a friendship had developed between her and her avowed enemy? Or anger that it had been taken away by the same device that had allowed that friendship to develop in the first place? While presently still her evil self, she realized that she could never do "nice," even though recent events had turned her former adversaries into brief allies. She heaved a big sigh.

She also felt frustration. Although she and Drakken had in one sense finally won after so many failures, they hadn't won in the way that they had originally planned. Since they had saved the world instead of conquering it, she and Drakken were now laughingstocks in the world of villainy, if not pariahs. Furthermore, Drakken seemed to be putting the moves on her, at least with those pesky vines of his. Both facts left her with an unsettling feeling. And Shego hated feeling unsettled. Drakken had hired her as a sidekick and given her a job, and a purpose. Now she really had neither, and she didn't like it. No, she didn't like it one bit. And then there was that disturbing piece of information she had found out last week regarding Kim. Did Kim know? Probably not. But she didn't feel she should be the one to tell her. More secrets, more lack of resolution to gnaw at her gut. She let out another slow sigh of frustration.

But at least she still had Drakken. _Whoa. Where did that thought come from?_ Yeah, her relationship with Drakken had rarely stepped out of professional bounds, but when it had, she always chalked it up to one too many times under the influence of that damn Moodulator. She had never given that brief crush a second thought, but now with Dr. D's flirty vines ... _No. This is just wrong. He's old enough to be my father, for crying out loud. _Shego suddenly realized that Drakken had been droning on for several minutes about something and that she hadn't heard a word that he'd said.

"... I guess it was after the third time that Butch stuck my head in the boy's room toilet back in the third grade that I knew I couldn't outfight those bullies, but I could outthink them." Dr. Drakken chuckled evilly to himself. "Yes, my revenge on Butch got me a month's detention, but it was well worth it." Drakken's flower petals popped out around his head in an expression of that joyful memory.

Shego quickly offered up a word of thanks to whatever powers that be that she hadn't heard more of _that _story. Her stomach then started to growl, reminding her that it had been some time since she last ate.

"Well Dr. D, I don't know about you, but I need to get something to eat. There's not much edible here at the moment. Can I pick you up something?"

"No thanks, Shego. I just had a shamrock shake which should tide me over for the moment."

"A shamrock shake? From McDoogle's?"

"No, Shego, real shamrocks. There was a little ice cream left over in the fridge, and I just had this craving for some shamrocks for some strange reason. Would you care for some?"

Shego's stomach did a flip as she turned just a shade greener than her usual skin tone. "Uh, no thanks, Dr. D, I'll pass. I'm in the mood for something a little more palatable."

Her gag reflex quickly passed as she made her way to the door. She hopped in the aircar and started it up.

"Well, let's see if the GPS can bring up any restaurants that are still standing." Her fingers flashed over the keyboard as the home pages of several local establishments holographically appeared before her in midair. She ticked each one off in order.

"Hmm. Wrecked. Blown up. Under repair. Out of business. Blippity blip, blip. Jeez Louise, isn't anything open at all? You'd think the Lorwardian plan of attack was to take out as many fast-food joints as possible." One home page still flashed green.

"Cow-'n-Chow? Oh, brother. Has it come to that?" She sighed as she set course for the eatery.

* * *

Ron was glad Cow-'n-Chow had extended their hours, particularly since it was practically the only fast-food place in Middleton still standing. He stepped into the restaurant and was immediately met by a very long line of extremely hungry customers.

"Oh, man, this tanks! It figures though, I guess. Huh, Rufus ol' buddy?"

Rufus just perched on Ron's shoulder and shrugged in dismay.

Ron continued, "Yeah, what are you going to do ..."

"... When it's the only place open in town?"

The sultry voice from behind Ron made the blood freeze in his veins. He turned quickly around.

"Sh-Shego? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, villains gotta eat too. Ya ever think about that?"

"Well, yeah, but usually not at the same place I'm eating at exactly the same time."

Shego lowered her eyebrows and grinned menacingly. "What, you think you're too good to rub elbows with a girl like me in a place like this?"

Rufus quickly popped back into Ron's pocket for safety while Ron swiftly backpedaled. "No! That's not what I meant! It's just a little hard for me to think of you doing something so ... uh, mundane."

"Yeah, well I put my bodysuit on one leg at a time, just like every other ... oh. I see what you mean. Speaking of which, you didn't lose your drawers like you usually have in the past when you fought Warhok and Warmonga. That was some impressive fighting, by the way. I hope I won't have to go up against _you_ for awhile, Kimmie notwithstanding."

Ron could barely believe what he was hearing. Kudos from Shego? "Gee, thanks. Uh, that's quite a compliment, especially coming from you."

"Well, I'm just glad that Drakken and I weren't on the receiving end of _that _display. What _was_ all that, anyway?"

"Mystical Monkey Power."

Shego quickly covered her mouth as she stifled a laugh. "Sorry. Obviously it's very powerful mojo, but it sounds so ... well, silly. Just out of curiosity, can you call up your power as easily as I can light my plasma?"

Ron was nearly speechless. Standing in a fast-food place with Shego of all people, and talking shop about their mutual super powers. "Uh, well, it comes and goes, really. It usually activates only when I really need it. And with Warhok, I _really_ needed it."

"Uh huh, I saw that. And I'm no slouch when it comes to martial arts styles, but I didn't quite recognize your particular brand. I'm used to Kimmie's sixteen styles of Kung Fu, but yours was definitely a step up from what I'm used to."

"Oh yeah. It's called Tai Shing Pek Kwar. Monkey Kung Fu."

"Beijing Tech War? Uh-huh. And that blue glow. Last time I saw that was when you went all evil, and became ... what was your alter-ego's name? Zorpox, wasn't it?"

Ron wasn't particularly happy about that memory, when the Attitudinator was used to transfer all of his good into Drakken and all of Drakken's evil into Ron, turning him into a super villain of unprecedented ability. Ron simply nodded in acknowledgement.

Shego smiled. "Well, just so long as you don't try to take over the world again. One blue-skinned villain at a time is enough for this planet, I think."

Ron started to relax a little, and even Rufus carefully peeked out of his pocket, tentatively sniffing Shego to see if it was really her and not one of Drakken's synthodrones. Still, Ron sensed that something wasn't quite right.

"Uh, Shego, I hope you don't mind me saying, but you seem to be awfully interested in my abilities. You're not trying to pump me for info in case we go head to head in combat sometime, are you?"

"Actually, no." Shego then grinned like the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland. "But that's not a bad idea, come to think of it. You never know when a little info like that might come in handy." Her smile disappeared as she continued. "Besides, Ron, you _did_ fight the two most powerful beings I've ever encountered. And killed them."

Shego's observation was suddenly interrupted as the PA system switched on and the restaurant manager began speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored to be serving two world heroes this evening, and unless anyone has any objections, we'd like to allow them to step to the head of the line. Let's have a round of applause for Ron Stoppable and his sidekick, Shego!"

The entire restaurant burst into cheers and applause. Ron however looked absolutely mortified. At first, Shego looked insulted to be introduced as Ron's sidekick, but then took one look at Ron's face, who was obviously petrified at the thought of what she might do next. She then did the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She burst out laughing. Ron's expression slowly turned from one of abject fear into a sheepish smile.

"Well, sport, it looks like our reputations have caught up with us. Better get used to it." Shego continued to chuckle. "And you should have seen the expression on your face when they announced me as your sidekick. I thought you might pass out from fright right then and there."

As they both stepped to the front of the line, Ron's expression had again turned from a sheepish smile to one of beaming pride, as he basked in the limelight of public recognition. "Well, Sheeg, I guess the world is finally beginning to recognize my essential Ronness."

Shego suddenly halted. In a dangerous tone, she said under her breath, "Your essential ... _what?_ And don't call me 'Sheeg' unless you want to suddenly become flame-broiled, Mr. Mystical Monkey Master."

Ron's sheepish expression returned in an instant as they stepped up to the counter. The manager was beaming from ear to ear as he personally served the two celebrities. "Well, what will it be? And it's on the house: it's the least we can do to say thank you for saving the world."

Ron deferred to Shego, bowing ever so slightly as he said, "Ladies first."

Shego grimaced slightly as she replied, "That's sweet, Ron, but I'm no lady." She turned to the manager to place her order. "I'll take a Walloper with everything on it, but hold the onions. And medium fries, a side salad, and a diet soda. A girl has to watch her figure, y'know. Don't you agree?"

Shego lowered her eyebrows as she delivered her last sentence in a slightly threatening tone, as she had noticed the manager surreptitiously checking her out. Not surprisingly, she thought. It was one of the many reasons she wore her form-fitting catsuit. And she enjoyed making men feel a little uncomfortable when she caught them ogling her. And this manager was no exception. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead as he replied, "Of course, Ms. Shego!"

"No, just Shego." Then she smiled as charmingly as possible as she asked, "And may I have that to go, please?"

The manager hastily rang up the order. "Could I also interest you in a milkshake? In honor of Dr. Drakken, our Flavor-of-the-Month is ... Shamrock!"

Shego felt suddenly queasy again as she felt her hurl factor rapidly approaching. "No, uh, what I ordered is just fine, thanks."

The manager then turned to Ron. "And what can I get for you, sir?"

Ron pondered for a moment. "Uh, one Walloper with extra cheese, grande-sized ..."

The manager gave Ron a quizzical look.

"Oops, sorry. Force of habit. Make that one double Walloper with extra cheese, large fries and a soda. And what did Kim want? Oh yeah. One regular Walloper with everything on it, but hold the onions. And medium fries, a side salad, and a diet soda."

Shego's eyebrows shot up. That was the same thing she'd ordered. _Hmm. Figures._

The manager kept his focus on Ron, carefully averting any eye contact with Shego. "Coming right up, sir!" In a few moments, the orders were bagged and ready. Ron thanked him as he and Shego made their way to the door.

Ron took a deep breath. "Sooo. What are your plans now, Shego?"

Shego tensed up as she cocked an eyebrow. "In what way?"

"Well, now that you and Drakken have gone straight, uh, how are you guys gonna keep busy?"

Thankful that Ron hadn't been suggesting she come back to his place to enjoy dinner with Kimmie and crew, she merely gave an offhand response. "We, uh, really haven't talked about it. I think I need a vacation from all this, though. Never have been one to like being in the spotlight." _Of any kind_, _prison searchlights in particular_, she thought. "And I've got lots to think over."

Ron smiled. "Well, thanks again for your help in defeating Warhok and Warmonga. Oh, and uh, thanks for those roses last month. That Moodulator tech sure did mess with our minds a little, didn't it? _Heh-heh_. I'm glad we all made it back in one piece after that Pan-Dimensional Vortex sitch." Ron hesitated a moment. "You weren't, uh, planning to take that any further, or tell Kim about the roses, are you? That would be real awkweird."

Ron recalled the note Shego had left on his doorstep with the roses, one black, the other green.

"_Thanks for the kiss. Moodulator or not, I really had wanted to do that for a long time._"

Shego smiled like the cat that had just swallowed the canary. "Mmm ... no. Should I?"

"Well, since she's my girlfriend, not such a good idea. Note. Serious. Face. She and I are real tight now, and she'd really start jellin' if she knew about that note. Probably to the point of bodily harm for you and me both, in spite of the fact that it was you putting the moves on me." Ron was then struck by a terrible thought. "Uh, you weren't _really _serious about that, were you? That would just be so ... wrongsick."

Shego laughed. "Well, I kinda was at the time. But really just jerking your chain a little, sport. As unbelievable as it is to the rest of the world, I know you and little Miss Priss really are an item, and I'm not about to do anything to raise her hackles." _Especially now_, she thought. "Besides, I have ... well, a new respect for you since last week. The Ronster has grown up. So congrats. Now if I could just get Dr. D's vines to behave themselves ..."

Ron's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa! Dr. D's tendrils putting the moves on _you_? Wait'll Kim hears about this!"

He was cut off by a whoosh of freshly-lit plasma. "Bad idea, Monkey Boy. Let's just say we keep our mutual secrets to ourselves, hmm?"

Ron smiled weakly as she powered down her plasma. "Uh, good plan. Well, good luck Shego. I hope you have a nice vacation. And, uh, if you ever need to talk ..."

"Yeah, I know. Call you, beep you, if I want to reach you. Urghh. I've always hated that line."

Shego hopped into her aircar, and Ron watched her as she sped off into the distance.

"Wow. Acknowledgement from the world, free food, and now respect from Shego. Pinch me, Rufus ol' buddy! Just to make sure I'm not asleep."

As Ron hopped onto his scooter, Rufus thought to himself, "_You're not asleep, my dear friend, but you may soon wish that you were ..._"

* * *

_Well, it seems that secrets and mysteries abound, and from some unexpected quarters._ _An ____enigma wrapped in a riddle nestled in a crunchy naco of mystery ... __When everything is eventually revealed, how will everyone react? And if you're wondering what the background is on Shego's note to Ron, see the James Blond chapters (or at least the Epilogue) to my first story, Failure Is The Only Option. Update soon._


	4. Sudden Fame

With an air of contentment, Ron puttered home with dinner for Kim, Rufus and himself. The main roads had been cleared of most of the rubble, and the residential streets were still relatively intact, so Ron was able to zip home without too much trouble. As he pulled up to his house, he saw Kim's car in the driveway, as well as his father's car. He chuckled to himself. Although Jim and Tim had been forbidden to do any scientific experiments while staying at the Stoppable's, Ron's dad was taking no chances and had decided to leave his car outside. He was an actuary after all, and knew the risks he ran by having the twins over as houseguests.

He shook his head as he said to himself, "Ah, Dad. You should know that with the Tweebs around, nothing is really safe anywhere."

Rufus popped out of his pocket with a quick "_Uh-huh!_" in agreement.

Kim was staying in Ron's room while Ron camped out on the family room couch, and Jim and Tim were staying in the living room, where they could be watched more easily. Still, as Ron walked into the house, he caught the twins busily levitating the living room furniture with what looked like some modified Lorwardian technology.

He looked up at the ceiling and gasped. "Kim! What are you doing up there?"

"What does it look like?" Kim yelled as she scowled at her brothers."You stupid Tweebs! Put me down right now!"

Jim looked at Tim with a mischievous gleam in his eye and said, "Okay, if you insist ..."

Tim flipped a switch, and Kim plus several pieces of furniture suddenly plummeted toward the floor. Ron reacted in a flash, dropping the bags of fast food and catching Kim in his arms. Kim smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Well, saved by my hero two weeks in a row. A girl could get used to this." She then gave him a much longer and deeper kiss.

The twins reacted as predictably to their display of affection as would be expected. "Eww! Gross! _Kim and Ronald, sittin' in a tree_ ..."

Kim jumped out of Ron's arms in a flash and grabbed the Tweebs by their collars before they had a chance to escape.

"Not as gross as you two are gonna look like after I'm finished with you! What's the big idea? You're both guests in this house!"

They both squirmed helplessly in Kim's grip. Tim yelled, "Ow! Let go! We were just trying to see if we could reverse the polarity on the Lorwardian's artificial gravity generator. And it worked!"

Kim frowned. "Yeah, I see that. But I thought that Dad said no experiments?"

Jim grinned as he explained, "He said no _laser_ experiments. This was _gravitational_."

Kim sighed as she said, "That's just the kind of devious thinking I've learned to expect from you two. We'll just see if Dad agrees with your reasoning."

They both stopped squirming as a look of fear appeared on their faces. Jim sputtered, "You wouldn't squeal on us ..."

"... would you?" Tim finished.

Kim lowered her eyebrows and smiled, obviously relishing the fact that she had been able to grab them for once. "Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

Ron suddenly noticed how much Kim looked like Shego when she did that. Funny how he'd never noticed that before ... He checked the furniture. "Everything seems ok, KP. No harm done."

Kim lowered the Tweebs to the floor. "You're off the hook, _for the moment_," she emphasized. "But no more experiments of _any_ kind from now on. Clear?"

"Yes ..." they both whined in unison.

"Now go and watch TV or play a computer game or something while Ron and I eat."

The Tweebs took off for the family room while Kim and Ron headed for the kitchen to enjoy their dinner. Mrs. Stoppable was just finishing feeding baby Hana, and she beamed as they sat down at the table.

"And how's my little world saver today?"

Ron replied offhandedly, "Fine, Mom."

Kim smiled. "Hi, Mrs. Stoppable."

"Oh, Kim. We're practically all family now. You can call me Ruth."

Kim's eyebrows rose slightly. "Sure ... Ruth." _Whoa. I really didn't think she cared for me all that much. This will take a little getting used to. _

Hana was also happy to see Ron, and she cheerfully extended her arms as she squealed, "Bruh–thur!"

Mrs. Stoppable continued to smile. "Ronald, did you see today's paper? You made the headlines! I'll need to get more copies for my co-workers down at the bank. I'm just so proud of you!"

Ron's face lit up, but Kim suddenly felt a twinge of ... what?

"Oh, and _Humans Magazine_ just called. They want you to be their cover story for next month's issue, and wanted to interview you. They also want to do a new photo shoot, since the one they did with you and Kim last month accidentally cut half your face off." She laughed lightly. "And I'm _sure_ you don't want them to use that stock photo of you when they thought you were a super genius. That was _so_ unflattering."

Ron let out a "_Booyah!_" while Kim felt an even bigger twinge.

"And don't forget to go through your mail, young man." Mrs. Stoppable waved a finger in mock warning. "There's at least fifty letters from different colleges." She continued in a happy sing-song voice, "I'd be willing to bet they're _acceptance letters _..."

Ron yelled, "_Double Booyah!_" Kim began to feel very dizzy. She was glad she was sitting down, or else she felt that she might pass out. She could hear Mr. Barkin's voice echoing through her mind. _Be afraid. Be very afraid ..._

Ron was beside himself with joy as Mrs. Stoppable picked up Hana and left to do a quick diaper change. "Kim, did you hear that? We might be able to go to the same college after all! Kim? Earth to Kim ... Oooh. You don't look so good, KP."

Kim's face had drained of all its color. "Sorry, Ron. Not feeling well all of a sudden." She forced herself to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "Congratulations, Ron. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. I'm so happy for you."

Ron spoke confidently, "Yeah, it's about time I started to get the respect I'm due. Looks like I've finally stepped out from behind your shadow." Softening his tone a bit, he took Kim's hand as he continued. "I feel like I'm walking beside you now, and not behind you."

Kim smiled weakly as her color began to return, and then spoke those words that no man ever wants to hear.

"Ron, we need to talk."

Ron blanched. _Uh oh._ "Sure, KP. Uh, what's on your mind?"

"Ron, please don't take this the wrong way, but I ... I don't want all this newfound popularity to go to your head. I love you so much, but ..." She sighed deeply as she tried to find the right words. "Remember how you began acting after your new haircut a few years ago? And again after you got that bazillion dollar royalty check from Bueno Nacho? I don't want to compete with that again, especially since we're dating now."

He looked down at their clasped hands and smiled. "Kim, Kim, Kim. You've got nothing to worry about. That was then, this is now. It's just that I'm finally being recognized for doing something that you've been doing for years: saving the world. The spotlight's on me now." He let out a little sigh. "But it'll pass. Barkin's always saying that the center won't hold, that it's all downhill from here. I just want to enjoy this while it lasts."

Kim continued. "Yeah, I know, Ron, but I'm really worried this time. You're already letting it go to your head. And what happens when you come down off of this mountaintop experience? Will you still be the same Ron Stoppable I fell in love with? I'm not so sure now. Will I have to step up again the next time the world needs saving, and can I count on you to watch my back?"

Ron swallowed hard. "Kim, are you ... breaking up with me?"

Kim looked horrified. "No! Of course not, Ron! I ... I just don't want to live in your shadow either, I guess."

Rufus stuck his tiny head out of Ron's pocket and uttered a feeble, "_Uh-oh._"

Ron let go of Kim's hand as his face became suddenly neutral. A few seconds ticked by before Ron spoke again. "So, after all these years of me watching your back, you feel like I'm eclipsing _you_ now? You've always had a bon-diggety sense of pride, KP, and I've always been able to handle that, especially now that I love you. But now it seems like your jellin' of my success. Has that burst your bubble, Kim?"

A look of anger briefly flashed across her face. "Now wait a minute, Ron. You're the one with the inflated ego here, not me. I've just been doing my job."

"Right. Like when you took over coaching your dad's soccer team. Was it your job to drive them crazy with your perfectionism? You've always been competitive, and I respect that. I just never thought it would be with me."

That comment brought Kim up short. There was at least a grain of truth in what Ron was saying. She had always been an overachiever. _I can do anything _had been her tag line for years. In contrast, Ron had always goofed off and done as little as possible to get by. But now he had stepped up and done the impossible, saving her life and the rest of the world in the process. What had Dad said earlier? That Ron had saved the world, which had been _her_ job up to now. Maybe she _was_ feeling competitive with Ron now, and a little jealous of the world's attention to him.

She took a deep breath. "Ron, I'm sorry. I've always had a type-A 'I-can-do-anything' personality, and you've always been a laid-back type-B. I ... I just need to get used to this new sitch, that's all. And I don't want to lose you in the process. But you do see my point, don't you?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Yeah, KP, I do. And I never want to lose you either. Ever."

Happily chattering away, Rufus rushed out of Ron's pocket, grabbed his hand and placed it back in Kim's.

Ron continued, "It's just been so great being recognized. Even Shego seems to have a new respect for me. Just tonight, the manager at Cow-'n-Chow gave us both a free meal just to say thanks for saving the world."

Kim's face immediately hardened as she jerked her hand away. "What? You were at Cow-'n-Chow with _Shego?_ Ron! What's your damage?"

Rufus just moaned "_Oh, no!_" before falling over backwards as he fainted dead away.

"Whoa, Kim, amp down! She walked into the restaurant after I was already inside. I had no idea she'd be there, honest!"

Kim was still incredulous. "But you had a _conversation_ with her?"

"Well, yeah, she seemed interested in my powers."

Kim replied with a sneer, "Yeah, sure. Probably more like pumping you for information in case she has to fight you someday."

Ron replied, "Yeah, that's what I thought too, but then she said she had new respect for me since last week's battle."

"And you _believed_ her?" Kim almost yelled.

Ron just stared at her.

Kim immediately looked chagrined. "Sorry. I missed all your fireworks while I was knocked out."

Ron continued. "Anyway, she and Drakken have gone straight, haven't they? At least for the time being."

Kim thought for a moment. "Maybe. But I still don't trust her. There's a lot of history I'd have to get over first. It's hard for me to give the benefit of the doubt to someone who's tried to kill me as many times as she has."

Ron admitted, "Well, _heh-heh_, there _is _that of course. But she just finished helping us against the Lorwardians, didn't she? And a few months ago, didn't she use your Kimmunicator to clue me into the puppet plan that got Warmonga to turn on Drakken, then head off on a wild goose chase to Pluto?"

Kim sighed. "Yeah, you're right, she did." Then she remembered what she had said to Shego while helping them during their escape from the Lorwardian spacecraft. "_See? You do care._"

By now, Rufus had come to and was busy burrowing into his cheese Walloper.

"Well, KP, what say we eat now while we decide what college we can go to together?"

"Sound's spankin', Monkey Boy. Then I need to stop by the hospital to bring Mom some stuff she needs."

They both dug into their dinners as they eagerly began opening his college acceptance letters.

* * *

Kim was lost in thought as she drove to the Middleton Medical Center. Maybe she had harshed on Ron a little too much. But based on how he reacted to success in the past, who could blame her? And then there was Ron's chance meeting with Shego. Ron, she felt could trust. But Shego? Still a big question mark. As she pulled into the hospital parking lot, she had decided what she needed to do.

Kim walked into the hospital and down the corridor to the room where her mom was staying while their home was being rebuilt, just like her dad was staying temporarily at the Middleton Space Center. This had come in handy with all the extra operations her mom had been called upon to do over the past week. Kim knocked on the door, and was greeted by a weary, "Come in."

Kim walked in and cheerfully said, "Hi, Mom. How are you holding up?"

Dr. Anne Possible looked tired, but still offered her daughter a warm smile. "Hi, Kimmie. Pretty well, considering all we've been through this week. And thanks so much for getting these extra things for me. We lost so much from our house, and getting away even briefly from here has been next to impossible."

She opened the bag Kim had brought, which contained some fresh clothes and various hair and skin care products. "As bad as hospital food can be, that's _nothing_ compared to quality of hospital toiletries."

Anne gave her daughter a warm hug. She knew right away something was wrong. "What is it, Kimmie? You know you can't keep anything from your mother."

Kim sighed. "Mom, I know you're tired, and I don't want to add to your problems, but ..."

"Let me guess. Trouble with Ron?"

Kim smiled weakly. "You know me like a book, Mom."

Anne offered Kim a chair. "And you know I'm always happy to listen, Kim."

Kim sat down and began to relax. She knew she could trust her mom with anything during one of their heart-to-heart talks.

"Well, Ron's started to develop some real big-headiness since last week, with all the attention he's been getting. But he says it's no big. I'm just afraid things are going to turn out like they have before, which means they're going to get worse before they get better. And now that we're dating, it's more than just our friendship on the line this time. I'm really worried, Mom."

Anne thought for a moment. "Kim, do you think that part of the problem might be how you're handling Ron's success and not just how Ron is reacting to it?"

Kim tried to feign ignorance. "Um, I'm not sure what you're getting at, Mom."

Anne smiled. "I think you know exactly what I'm getting at, Kimmie. You're both right. And you're both wrong."

Kim didn't know how to respond to that, but she had a hunch that her mom had her nailed.

"Honey, you've always been competitive, sometimes to an extreme degree. Just look at your relationship with Bonnie. And you can be very headstrong, too, young lady. But now, Ron is no longer just a sidekick. He's shown you that he can be your partner. And you seem to be having a little trouble with that, which isn't surprising."

Kim shook her head. "But Mom ..."

Anne put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Kim, you're right to be concerned about Ron, especially given his past. But he's always come around, with your help. Just give him time, and your love. Be patient, Kimmie. Men's egos can be so fragile sometimes." She chuckled softly. "I have more than one story I could share with you about dating your father, and how we've had spats over our relative careers, so I can relate to how you're feeling. But trust me, Kimmie. Ron is worth it. Just trust your mother's intuition on this."

She then gave her daughter a conspiritive look. "And I think Ron will eventually turn out to be much more than just your permanent crime-fighting partner, too."

The color in Kim's cheeks began to approach the shade of her red hair. "I hope so too, Mom. Thanks." Kim then began to frown again. "But there's one more thing. Ron ran into Shego at Cow-'n-Chow tonight, and from what Ron told me, they seemed to be all chummy. That just strikes me as sick and wrong."

Anne's face became unreadable for a moment. Then the warm smile returned. "Kim, please trust me on this too. I really don't think you have anything to worry about regarding Ron and Shego. I suspect that Shego's turned an important corner in her life, but only time will tell. But if she remains on the straight and narrow, you and Ron may help her stay on that new path."

Kim wasn't too happy with that answer, but she also knew her mom had never steered her wrong before.

"Okay, Mom. And thanks for listening. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Kimmie." Kim gave her a quick hug before leaving.

Kim drove back to Ron's feeling much better about things. Her mom definitely had a way of putting things in perspective. And her mom's allusion to a permanent relationship with Ron definitely jived with her dad's predictions. Or were his comments more like resignation to the inevitable? Kim laughed for the first time she had in hours. She parked in the driveway and noticed that Ron's dad's car was gone. She walked in the front door and saw that the Tweebs were busy playing a computer game. _Good_, she thought. _That should keep them out of trouble for a while._

She walked up to Ron's room, where there was a note taped on the door.

"_Kim, I went out with my Dad. Be back soon. Love, Ron_."

She breathed a quick sigh of relief. "Well, sounds like a father/son talk, like my mother/daughter talk. Also good."

She lay down on Ron's bed and kicked off her shoes. One shoe flew a little further than she had planned, and accidentally knocked over a large pile of his college acceptance letters on his desk, which fell onto the floor in a huge heap.

Kim frowned. "Ron really should clean up his room now that he's graduated." She hit herself on the forehead with her hand. "Oh, man. Now I'm sounding like my mother ..."

She began picking up the letters, under which lay a pile of hastily completed extra homework from Mr. Barkin. She shook her head and sighed as she read the papers, most of which were marked with a huge red C minus.

"Barkin and his eternal extra homework, and Ron with his eternal procrastination. I'm surprised poor Ron was even able to complete his _regular_ work and graduate, with all of Barkin's extra assignments." She giggled as she suddenly remembered Bonnie's plight. "I wonder how she's doing in summer school after blowing off Barkin's pop quiz the last week of school ..."

She then noticed a note sticking out from underneath the blotter on the desk. She pulled it out, and her eyes widened as she noticed the lip print made with black lipstick at the bottom. Her curiosity turned to anger as she began to read the note.

"What the ... _Shego!" _She crumpled the note in her hand._ "_Why, that ... Ron, you got some _'splainin to do!_"

She took in several ragged breaths as she tried to get her sudden rage under control. _I don't care if she has gone straight or not, I think Shego has another date with my foot and an electrical tower ... _

Kim heard the front door open, then heard Ron and his dad talking as they walked into the house. With barely contained fury, she stepped out of Ron's room just as he began walking up the staircase.

With a look that could have instantly melted a synthodrone, Kim simply said, "Ron, what's this?" She held Shego's note in her hand.

Ron's mouth hung open as he weakly responded, "Uh, oh ..."

* * *

_Well, it looks like the cat's out of the bag. How will Kim deal with this extra complication? Update soon._


	5. Revelations

"Well, Ron?" Kim crossed her arms as she waited for his explanation.

Ron began to break out in a sweat, as adrenaline began pumping into his system in a classic 'fight or flight' response.

"I know this is going to sound lame, KP, but it's not what you think."

Kim huffed, "And I think we should take this outside. I don't think I want the Tweebs listening in and broadcasting this all over Middleton."

They stepped into the backyard as Ron began to explain. "This isn't what it looks like, Kim. That was the kiss you saw during the James Blond sitch. And I wasn't the kisser, I was the kissee!"

"Yeah, but why did she say, 'Moodulator or not, I've wanted to do that for a _long time?_' And why did you keep the note? _What's your damage, Ron?_"

"Well, I've never been that good about cleaning my room, if you haven't noticed. Besides, I really didn't give it that much thought."

Kim's eyes narrowed. "And you really expect me to believe that?"

Ron's mood suddenly hardened. "Well, yeah. I can't believe that after all we've been through as friends and on our missions to save the world, that you won't give me the benefit of the doubt here."

"Ron, this is _Shego_ we're talking about, not just some snarky wannabee cheer squad leader."

"Who, Bonnie? Like when she and I were crowned Homecoming King and Queen? Hellooo, same type of sitch! Kisser and kissee! Besides, Shego already promised she wasn't going to take this any further. She just wanted to jerk my chain a little."

"And when did she tell you this, during your little 'date' tonight?"

"Well, yeah, but then she said ..."

Kim threw her hands up in the air. "So, she's turned from being our enemy into my rival for your affections? _I can't believe this!_"

"Kim, please, I really think you're overreacting."

At that statement, Rufus sprang out of Ron's pocket and ran for cover. He guessed that Ron had yet to learn that you never, _ever_, say 'overreacting' to a girl during a lover's quarrel.

"Overreacting? _I'll_ show you overreacting!" And with that, she slapped Ron. Hard.

Ron touched the burning spot on his face where Kim had struck him, as he began to subtly emanate a blue glow.

Kim fumed, "I'm outta here, _Casanova__! _Maybe Mom will let me stay in her room at the hospital tonight."

As she turned to go, Ron put his hand on her shoulder. "Kim, please ..."

She roughly shook off his hand. "Don't 'Kim, please' _me, _you two-timer!" She slapped him again, this time even harder.

Ron's blue glow now trebled in intensity. Leaves in the yard began to swirl, even though it was a windless night. He choked out, "Please don't go, Kim ... don't ... go ..."

But it was too late. Ron's Mystical Monkey Power had now been activated by the cumulative physical and emotional stress he had just experienced. A blue energy field reached out from him, enveloping Kim and lifting her several feet off the ground.

Hot tears began pouring down Kim's face. "Finishing what you started? I hope you and Shego will be _real happy together_ ..."

At that statement Ron's glow began to fade, and he gently set her back onto the ground. Back in control again, Ron declared, "Never, Kim. Not in a million years."

Kim collapsed to her knees, shaking in fear as the implications of what had just happened began to sink in. She thought to herself, _Oh my God,_ w_hat have I done?_ She looked at Ron with a sense of bewilderment.

Ron walked to her and gently lifted her to her feet. He started to pull her close as he whispered, "I'm so sorry, Kim. I ... I don't know what came over me."

She broke away from him, a look of fear now in her eyes. Without saying a word, she quickly ran inside and up the stairs to Ron's room, slamming the door behind her. Ron followed close behind her.

"Kim, open up. Please?"

He could hear the sound of Kim softly sobbing.

"Kim, please?"

Kim mumbled, "Go away."

"Kim, I'm sorry. I had no control over what just happened. We really need to talk about this, Kim."

"Please ... just ... go ... away ..." was her muffled reply.

Ron felt terrible. The same power he had used to save Kim's life had apparently just been used against her. And he hadn't been able to do anything to stop it. He slowly turned away and walked back down the stairs. Leaving Rufus behind, he walked out the front door, softly closing it behind him. Rufus quickly scampered up the stairs and squeezed under Ron's door. He found Kim curled up on Ron's bed, arms around her knees, quietly crying.

Her mind was racing as fast as her heart. She loved Ron so much, but because of her jealousy, she had just turned him into ... what? They had both experienced huge mood and personality changes before, even accidentally exchanging bodies once, but those were most often the result of one of Drakken's plots gone wrong. And she had lost track of how many times Ron had undergone some kind of incredible physical transformation. But this time the catalyst hadn't been a device. It had been _her._ And Ron had responded to that with his Mystical Monkey Power. Who could say if she lost her temper again during another argument in the future, that she wouldn't accidentally cause the same thing to happen again?

Rufus scrambled onto the bed. Kim's face was buried in the pillow, her bitter tears dampening it. Rufus brushed away a few stands of her red hair and whimpered, "_Sorree!_" She looked back at him through tear-filled eyes and sobbed, "My God, Rufus, what have I done? _What have I done ..._"

* * *

Parked on a rise overlooking Middleton, Shego absentmindedly finished her meal, which by now had grown cold. She had lost track of time as she tried to sort through her feelings, which was something she rarely did. She noticed that a few of Middleton's streetlights were still working. As they flickered in the distance, desperately trying to illuminate the darkness, she wished that something would appear to illuminate her own path.

She then looked up at the sky, and noticed how many more stars she could see without all the usual light pollution to dim them. The vast expanse of the Milky Way glittered like a delicate necklace in the evening sky. She thought to herself, _Well, the world seems a little smaller, now that we know what's out there. And I hope they never come back. But I'm not counting on it. And there's going to be a world of hurt when they do ..._

A chilling thought crossed her mind as she realized what she had just thought. Not _if_, but _when__._

She continued to stare at the stars. As she did so, Drakken came unbidden into her thoughts. She then remembered a childhood poem, and began to speak it aloud.

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might ... aw, crap. What the hell am I doing?"

She sighed as she reached down and started the aircar, slowly heading back to the lair.

* * *

As it was a Friday, Dr. Drakken usually enjoyed unwinding at his favorite karaoke bar. Much to his dismay, he found that it too had been wrecked in the attack.

He harrumphed, "Just as well. It's not as much fun without Shego, anyway. And what's taken her so long just to get something to eat? Good for nothing sidekick, taking the aircar and leaving me with ... with this." He hit the steering wheel of his car, a 1985 Yugo he had bought while back in college before dropping out. The steering wheel promptly fractured in several places. Drakken just stared at the broken wheel and heaved a big sigh.

He began to wonder where Shego had gone, and when she would be back. His mind then began to wander back to those days in college when he thought that if he couldn't find the perfect woman, he would build her instead. That however had ended in disaster and humiliation before his college peers, just as his later attempts with the Bebebots had. But now, he suspected that he _had_ found the perfect woman, and right under his very nose. Why hadn't he seen that before? She was intelligent, beautiful, and ... and as sarcastic a woman as he had ever known. Urghh.

Plus, he could be as much as twenty years her senior. He could never quite figure that out precisely, though. She was very private about her past, and you just don't go asking a woman what her age is. Especially Shego, unless you have your major medical insurance paid up, and maybe your burial plot picked out as well ...

Yet, she had stuck with him all these years, through all their successes and failures. Well, mostly failures, until last week. And now he, Dr. Drakken, _aka_ Drew Lipsky, was an international hero. He smiled as his chest swelled with pride. He had finally obtained a dramatic, world-changing victory. Just not an _evil_ one. Drat. Maybe he should just leave well enough alone, retire at the top of his game and rest on his accolades. But he had only fame now, not fortune, nor respect from his evil peers. And perhaps, not even Shego anymore.

Arghh! What was wrong with him? Why this sudden obsession with her? After all, wasn't she just his hired sidekick? No. There was no 'just' anymore. He sighed as he finally realized that there was still that one small spot in his evil, twisted heart that was empty, and that there was only one person who could fill that void. Shego.

He also realized that he was now totally lost, and had no idea where he was. He hit the steering wheel again in frustration, this time breaking off a piece of it and injuring his hand in the process. Unintelligible curses were heard as he drove off into the late-night streets of Middleton.

* * *

Ron was swiftly sinking into the granddaddy of all deep blue funks as he drove around aimlessly on his scooter. He had tried contacting Wade, but his Kimmunicator indicated that the link was temporarily busy. He tried phoning, but only got that ubiquitous recorded message: "_We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is not in service at this time. Please try your call again later._" Attempts to contact Felix met with the same result. And he knew if he tried going over to Mr. Barkin's to talk out his problems, he'd probably revoke his high school diploma, and then assign him even more extra homework.

Sadly, he turned for home. Drakken unfortunately had also made the poor choice of driving through that very intersection at the exact same moment, and was unable to see Ron's scooter in the darkness, resulting in the inevitable consequences. With a terrific crash, the Yugo and scooter collided. The scooter looked only slightly dented, but the Yugo appeared totaled.

Ron thought, "_Oh, great! Mystical Monkey Power mayhem, Kim freaking out, and now this. I've really got to get my head in the game! Now if I could only figure out what that game is ..._"

Ron yelled out, "Hey, Mister! Are you okay?"

Drakken opened the car door, which promptly fell to the ground with a large clang.

He angrily responded, "Yes, I think so, no thanks to your lack of skill on that thing, and ... oh. It's you. The sidekick who stepped up. Rod, isn't it?" Drakken felt a pang of fear, knowing full well that Ron could seriously hurt him, even without his monkey powers.

"That's Ron, but close enough."

With a slight air of trepidation, he asked, "I trust you're ... uninjured?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Dr. D. You okay?"

"I'm a little shaken, but I seem to be all right. Which is more than I can say for my car." He sighed, "Well, they don't build them like they used to."

"Hellooo, it's a Yugo, Dr. D! They actually never built them very well at all. But they're only slightly worse than a Sloth." Ron stroked his chin in thought. "And yet, the Tweebs were able to turn it into a rocket-powered super car ..."

Drakken was at a loss to whom Ron was referring. "Uh, yes, I'm sure they did. And I'm sorry about our accident, heh-heh, but I didn't see you coming. Just lost in thought, I suppose, and not paying enough attention."

"Hmm. Shego?" Ron guessed.

Drakken's eyes became as wide as saucers. "As a matter of fact, yes. How did you know?"

"Well, she's been the root of all of _my_ problemos today, so I kinda' figured ..."

"Whoa. _Your_ problems?" Drakken was incredulous.

"Yeah. Once Kim found out I'd kissed Shego, and then found the note Shego wrote to me ..."

Drakken interrupted, "You ... _kissed_ Shego?" His face darkened as he asked menacingly, "And when, pray tell, did this happen?"

"Actually, _she_ kissed _me_. During that James Blond sitch. You remember, when your Magnetronic Personality Analyzer made all the ladies nicey-nice to each other?"

Drakken recalled the event. "Arghh. Don't remind me. I almost went into diabetic shock from all that."

"Yeah, that moodulator technology you used sure messed with the ol' brainwaves."

"So, there was never anything ... serious ... between you and Shego?"

"Yeah, but try telling KP that."

"KP?" Drakken queried.

"Oh, yeah. Kimberly Ann to you."

The light bulb came on. "Ah, yes. My former nemesis. Please continue."

"So she slapped me, and I unconsciously activated my Mystical Monkey Power which freaked her out."

Drakken gloated, "So, dear Kimberly Ann is jealous of Shego, and for no real reason." _Oh, this is rich ..._

Ron replied, "Well, it's real to her. And I feel real bad about it. I really love her, Dr. D."

Drakken shook his head. "Yes, that never really made sense to me, but if you say so. Love has so rarely made any sense to me."

Ron smiled. "Well, your vines don't seem to be having any trouble."

"My vines?" Drakken exploded. "_Who told you!_" Marigold petals once again popped out of his head.

"Chill out, Dr. D, the whole world saw your tendrils puttin' the moves on Shego during the UN ceremony. I figured there had to be something going on."

Drakken fumbled, "Umm, we really haven't talked about it."

"Oh, I get it. Afraid of how she'll react? Shego can be kinda' intimidating, yup yup."

Drakken grunted sardonically. "Yes, you could say that ..."

"Well, she seems to respect strength. Try a direct approach. What've you got to lose?"

Drakken thought to himself, _Hmm._ _Probably_ _several layers of epidermis and what little hair I have left._

"Oh, and flowers! The ladies love the flowers!"

With his face framed by marigold petals, Drakken simply fixed Ron with an icy stare.

"Oh, yeah. Uh, never mind the flowers."

"Well, I'll think about it, uh, Don." Drakken looked down at the remains of his vehicle. "And don't worry about my car, I have a feeling it was on its last legs anyway."

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "Sounds good to me. I guess it wouldn't look very good in the news if people saw the headline, 'World Savers Collide In Freak Traffic Accident.' But how will you get home, or wherever it is you're going?"

Drakken spotted a convenience store a few blocks away. "I'll just use a payphone and leave a message for Shego to come and pick me up. The aircar's electromagnet should be able to retrieve the pieces of my Yugo." He scratched his chin in thought. "And maybe I'll use the government's _Loot for Lemons_ program to help pay for a new car. A hybrid would be more in keeping with my new Green image anyway ..."

Feeling much better now, Ron bid Drakken farewell. "Okay, then, Dr. D. Well, just gimme a call the next time the world needs saving. Just don't try to take it over again, huh? That would just wreck your new reputation. Oh, and uh, good luck with Shego. I think you two deserve each other. Uh, I mean, _belong_ together."

Ron kick started his scooter and zoomed off before he could put his foot in his mouth again.

As Ron rode off into the distance, Drakken pondered, "I'll never understand how that boy can analyze a complicated problem and boil it down to its purest essence, provide a solution, and be totally oblivious to the fact!" He just shook his head as he trudged toward the nearest payphone.

* * *

Kim had calmed down enough after a while to start thinking things through clearly.

"Okay, Rufus," she sniffed. "I'm physically unhurt, and everything else seems to still be in one piece." _Except my heart_, she thought. "What's next?"

Rufus chattered away, pointing to her wrist Kimmunicator.

"Wade! Of course. Maybe he can shed some light on this sitch."

In a moment, Wade appeared on the screen. "Hi, Kim! What's up? Kinda late, isn't it? Hey, have you been crying?"

She tried to straighten her tear-dampened hair as she explained. "Sorry, Wade, I've got a big problem. I had a fight with Ron, and I kinda flew off the handle, and slapped him."

"Whoa, Kim! What did he do?"

She waffled, "Uh, that's not important now. What's important is that after I slapped him again, I tried to leave, but he activated his monkey power and grabbed me."

"Omigosh! Are you okay, Kim?"

"I'm fine, Wade, really. I'm just worried that I may have created a monster, and I blame myself."

"Well, uh, let's check the tape." Wade began playing back the entire scene that had just transpired in Ron's backyard over her Kimmunicator.

"Wade, it really scares me how you're able to do that ..."

"Uh, just keeping tabs in case of sitchs like this, Kim." He smiled as the tape continued. "So, Shego puttin' the moves on Ron and leaving him a note about it. I can see why you got upset. But it sounds like he wasn't trying to reciprocate at all, Kim. And ... whoa! Did he just say you're _overreacting?_ Even _I _know not to say that to a girl. And I'm not even old enough to date yet!"

The scene continued to play until Ron activated his Mystical Monkey Power. "Hey, Kim. Look at this." Wade hit the freeze frame button. "You said he grabbed you? It looks like his power's in the form of a hand, and you're resting about two feet off the ground in his palm. He's really not holding on to you, he just didn't want you to leave. And look at his face: that's not anger, it looks more like he's pleading with you."

Kim's tears began to flow again as everything started to become clear.

"Kim, how did you physically feel when his power touched you?"

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the physical sensation she had felt, and not her emotional state at the time. "I felt ... warm. Like I was gently floating on a cloud of cotton ..." The realization hit her like a thunderbolt. "Oh, Wade! I've been such a jealous idiot! He wasn't trying to hurt me at all! Ron's subconscious mind was still controlling his power, even though I didn't realize it. And he was so gentle ..."

"Kim, I don't think Ron could hurt you even if he _wanted_ to. But I'll try to contact Sensei. Maybe he can confirm what we're thinking. But where's Ron right now?"

"I ... I don't know. He left a while ago, after ... after I told him to go away, and leave me alone." Kim's heart sank even further.

"Well, if he doesn't come back soon, I'll try to locate him. I've still got him chipped, y'know."

Kim smiled as she tried to wipe away her tears. "Please and thank you, Wade." She broke the connection just as she heard Ron's scooter drive up.

She stepped out of Ron's room just as he came in the front door. She was halfway down the stairs when their eyes met. They stopped for a brief moment and looked into each other's eyes, both trying to anticipate who would speak first. But in a heartbeat, they suddenly rushed into each other's arms and began to hug each other tightly.

Kim continued to hold Ron closely as she said, "Ron, I'm so sorry. I had no right to jell' on you so hard, and then I ended up causing you to activate your power. How could I be so stupid, provoking you like that? I'm ... I'm sorry, Ron. I _was_ overreacting."

Ron softly said, "No, I'm the one who should be sorry, Kim. I know I should have let you know about that note as soon as I got it. But I was afraid of how you'd react. And I was afraid of what Shego would do, or what you would do to Shego, since you've both nearly killed each other in the past." He let out a soft sigh as he tried to find the right words. "And I admit, that note was also kind of an ego boost for me. To be found attractive by someone so powerful, as evil as she is ... was ... whatever. It just went a little to my head. That's why I kept the note."

Kim had relaxed a little, and took a step back from Ron. She inquisitively looked into his eyes as she thought, _And _w_ho are you now, Ron Stoppable? _

Ron pleaded, "But it didn't have anything to do with how I feel about you, Kim, I swear. Nothing could ever change that. So no more secrets, I promise. Ever." He took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "And I think maybe you're right. I _have_ let my new popularity go to my head, at least a little, as much as I've tried to deny it. And that's led to ... this. I can't tell you how sorry I am, Kim." A tear formed in the corner of his eye, and slowly trickled down his face.

She kissed him deeply. _Now that's the Ron Stoppable I love._

The kiss ended, and she looked again into his eyes. "Ron, if you haven't noticed, I'm SO way not perfect either. But as long as we can admit that to each other, and forgive each other when we mess up, we can make this work, no big. But this power of yours _is_ so the drama."

"Yeah, I've definitely opened Pandaroo's Box so far as my Mystical Monkey Power is concerned. I couldn't stop it, or control it. Kim, I'm scared. I could have hurt you. Or worse."

She flashed Ron a sly smile. "But you didn't, Monkey Boy. You _did_ control it. And you put me down very gently. Wade somehow taped the whole sitch, and I saw the whole thing from another angle. It couldn't be clearer how you really felt."

Then she giggled, "And by the way, that's _Pandora's_ Box. Pandaroo was one of my Cuddle Buddies."

"Oh, yeah! I remember him." He smiled at that memory, but frowned as he continued to mull over the evening's events.

"But it worries me how my power just subconsciously responded like that all by itself. I don't like feeling that I don't have a say in what my Mystical Monkey Power does. You're right Kim, this _is_ so the drama. I need to learn a lot more control."

Kim gently touched the spot on his face where she had slapped him. "That's probably not a bad idea, Ron. But I think we should go upstairs now before any prying eyes should get, y'know, too curious?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the Tweebs would have a field day with this if they knew."

They walked up the stairs as two sets of young eyes were at that very moment peeking from behind the living room curtains, having overheard the entire conversation.

Jim whispered, "Hicka Monkey Boo?"

"Hoosha!" Tim whispered back as they both scrambled back into the family room before Kim and Ron could notice.

As Ron closed the door, Kim asked, "Not that I'm trying to pry, but where _did _you go while I had my little meltdown?" _And please dear Lord, don't let it be somewhere with Shego ..._

"Funny you should ask. I ran into Dr. Drakken."

Both of Kim's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Drakken? Where did you meet _him_?"

Ron scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, I didn't meet him, Kim. I ran into him. Literally."

Kim was speechless for a moment, then burst out laughing. "So how did _that_ happen? Spill, Monkey Boy." She sat down cross-legged on Ron's bed, eagerly awaiting the story.

"Well, I tried calling Felix, but I couldn't get through. Then I tried to contact Wade, but had no luck there either."

Kim remarked, "Yeah, that was probably when I was talking to him."

"So I drove around aimlessly, thinking about our sitch. I turned a corner just as Drakken did, and we smacked right into each other. He was driving his Yugo since Shego had borrowed the aircar. His car was totaled, but my scooter was only a little dented."

Kim smiled. "It figures that he would drive a Yugo." The smile quickly turned to a frown as she asked, "But you're both okay, aren't you?"

"Just spankin', KP. No injuries. But then we got to talking, and ..."

"And ...?" She leaned forward, her curiosity peaked.

"KP, I think he's in love with Shego."

Kim's mouth dropped open so wide that it would have hit the floor if that were possible. She couldn't help but laugh. "Drakken in love with Shego, like, _romantically_? Oh, man, that just sounds so ..."

"About time?" he finished.

Kim was taken aback for a moment. "Well, I was going to say sick and wrong, but come to think of it, lots of people have had their doubts about us, too." She continued offhandedly, "Like just about every villain we've ever fought."

"Yeah, but we sure showed them, huh? So don't harsh on him too bad, KP. Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, but not by much."

The Kimmunicator suddenly beeped. Kim answered it. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

Wade looked extremely worried. "Uh, guys, I hope your both sitting down. I've got real bad news. Dr. P just called. He's just finished inspecting the wreckage of the Lorwardian mothership."

A chill went down Kim's spine.

"What did he find, Wade?"

"It's not so much what he found, but what he didn't find. There's a large docking bay where Warmonga's spacecraft should be. It's empty. And there's a smear of dried Lorwardian blood on the deck leading from the mothership's bridge to the docking bay, and some serious scorching from where an emergency take-off may have taken place. Kim, it looks like Warmonga and Warhok may still be alive."

Kim suddenly turned as pale as a ghost, as she felt the blood drain from her face. A wave of dizziness hit her as she turned to Ron with a look he had rarely seen on her face before: a look of complete and total fear.

* * *

Just within visual range of Pluto, a Lorwardian cruiser was making its way out of the Solar System. On board, a badly injured Warmonga nursed the controls of her damaged spacecraft. She had placed the charred remains of Warhok in stasis as she prepared for the ultraspeed jump that would return her to her home planet of Lorwardia. But she had one more act she needed to perform before returning home.

With her bloodied face etched with white-hot anger, she spoke through gritted teeth. "For the blue one who deceived me, and the green one who insulted me; for the girl one who first defeated me, and the boy one who killed my battlemate: Warmonga will return to your wretched planet and erase it from the universe's memory, but not before taking my revenge on those who have humiliated me. By the thirteen moons of Jingos, _Warmonga_ _swears it!_"

She punched the firing button, and a hideous lance of red energy shot out, enveloping Pluto. A moment later, the dwarf planet was annihilated in a blinding flash, its three moons careening off into interstellar space.

Warmonga bared her teeth in a wicked smile as she set course for home.

* * *

_And just when things were starting to look up ... There's an old saying that I just made up, that the only thing worse than a Lorwardian is a vengeful Lorwardian. And there will be hell to pay. When the time comes, will Team Possible and friends be up to the challenge? Update next week ..._


	6. Answers and Questions

Ron lay awake on the family room couch, pondering the day's events, unable to sleep. Rufus lay across the top of the couch, snoring softly under a tiny blanket, his miniature nightcap protecting his head from the midnight chill.

A ghostly image appeared, hovering over Ron.

The image spoke, his voice eerily echoing through the family room. "Are you awake, Stoppable-san?"

Ron was startled by the sudden apparition. "Aaah! Sensei! Why can't you just use the phone like everyone else?"

Sensei intoned, "Cost, Stoppable-san. Long distance rates have increased dramatically during the current recession."

Ron shrugged. "Well, yeah, there is that. At least you didn't spell it on my wall with mystery meat gravy."

Sensei smiled at Ron's little dig as he continued. "Ron Stoppable, your mystical skills blossomed when you were faced with considerable adversity, and you have won a great battle. You have truly mastered the martial skills of the Mystical Monkey Power."

Ron was wide-eyed with awe. Not with pride this time, but with the humility befitting a true Mystical Monkey Master.

Sensei then frowned. "But you have won only one battle in what may turn out to be a crusade against a terrible evil which threatens not only this world, but the galaxy as well. There are greater skills that you must now learn, and swiftly. The ferocity of the Ancients within you must now be tempered with the mental discipline of the Mystics. This can only be learned through greater mental focus and training. You must return to Yamanouchi while there is still time."

Ron pondered what the Japanese master had just revealed. "Sensei, this wouldn't have anything to do with me defeating the Lorwardians, would it?"

"Unfortunately so, Stoppable-san, and with Drakken-san as well. I have just spoken with your friend Wade, who believes it possible that your enemies may have survived and retreated back to their world. If this is so, they may return, and with a vengeance. And if they return, they will do so in greater strength and numbers, and not merely with one ship. They are a warrior race, and their pride and thirst for battle is only exceeded by their desire for retribution. Should they consider you and Drakken-san a threat to their designs for galactic conquest, I fear the worst for us all."

Ron began to have a sinking feeling. "You mean, I might have to fight them _again?_ Oh, man, that tanks _bigtime_." Ron suddenly realized the implications of what Sensei was saying. "But I only fought two of them. Are you saying if they return, we could be facing an entire Lorwardian armada? Bad aliens! _Very bad aliens!_"

"There are still many possibilities, Stoppable-san. You, and the world, must be prepared. Please return to us, and quickly ..."

Sensei's image faded away, leaving Ron even more anxious about what lay ahead. He looked at Rufus's still sleeping form.

"Sleep well, little buddy. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day ..."

* * *

The next day dawned bright and clear, the cloudless sky promising another warm day to the inhabitants of Middleton. But the beautiful weather belied the intense mood of one young genius. Wade absent-mindedly slurped his usual soda, but his face betrayed an unusually high degree of concentration as he focused on his computer screen. He had spent the last hour analyzing the recording of the Lorwardian mothership's crash, adjusting and readjusting various electronic filters, desperately attempting to cut through the explosion's interference in order to determine one thing: had Warmonga and Warhok really escaped?

With one more final tweak he was done, and he had his answer. He activated the Kimmunicator, its incessant 'Beep Beep _Bee _Beep' rousing Kim from her slumber. She first tried to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock before realizing that the offending sound was coming from her wrist. She stifled a yawn as she answered, "What up, Wade?"

"Morning, Kim. I just finished analyzing the crash and thought you should know what I found."

Kim was instantly wide awake. "Go, Wade."

As he began to explain, Wade played a single frame advance from the moment that Ron had thrown Warmonga and Warhok like two giant discuses into their rapidly descending spacecraft.

"You can see that Warhok hit the ship first, smashing directly into the bridge and causing the initial explosion. Warmonga was directly behind him and could have been shielded from the initial impact. The ship continued to descend for about another minute before crashing beyond the outskirts of Upperton. But look here, just a few seconds before impact."

Warmonga's diminutive space cruiser could just be seen launching away from the rear of the command section of the massive mothership just before it plowed into the ground, leaving a mile-long swath of destruction behind it.

"Well, there you have it, Kim. At least one of them survived, and based on the evidence, it was probably Warmonga. If she was shielded from the initial impact, she would have had just enough time to make it to her ship and escape."

Kim rubbed her forehead. "Wade, this is SO not how I want to wake up in the morning. Have you told my dad yet?"

"I'm going to call him right now, Kim. Would you break the news to Ron?"

"I'll go down and tell him right now. And I think we should all meet at the Space Center as soon as possible."

"You're right, Kim. We need to consider our options, and then figure out how to break this news to the world. See you all shortly."

Kim switched off her Kimmunicator, quickly dressed and went downstairs. Ron was already at the breakfast table, sharing some Pop-Pop Porter's Mini Corndogs with Rufus.

Kim commented, "Spankin' breakfast, Ron."

"Don't knock it, Kim! It's nature's perfect food, next to the Naco."

Rufus smiled, scarfing down another corndog. He gave a small burp, but quickly said, "_Excuse me!_"

Through half-closed eyes, Ron then asked, "Did you sleep well, Kim?"

Kim noticed that Ron's energy wasn't quite up to his usual morning Ron-shine.

Cautiously she replied, "Okay I guess, under the circumstances. You?"

Ron continued to stare at his corndog. "Not so well, KP. Sensei appeared to me last night and said he wants me to return to Yamanouchi for further training. He said I need to gain mastery over the mental aspects of my Mystical Monkey Power, if ... uh, _when_ the Lorwardians return. He thinks last week's battle may be only the first of many."

Kim frowned as she took his hand in hers. "Ron, I think he's right. Wade just called and confirmed what we've all been afraid of. Warmonga's ship _did_ escape just before the mothership crashed. He wants us to meet him over at the Space Center right away."

Ron suddenly stood up, but this time with the confidence and determination born of their many missions together. He smiled at Kim and said, "Well, what are we waiting for, KP? We should put our heads together on how we can give Warmonga as warm a reception as possible if she dares come back. And if she does, I'll just have to kick her alien butt again."

Kim grimaced. "Yeah, but the problem is there may be a lot _more_ alien butts to kick next time."

As they walked to Kim's SL Coupe, she wondered, "Do you really think they'll come back, Ron? Maybe Warmonga has finally learned her lesson now and will leave well enough alone."

Ron frowned. "Good question, KP. But if Warmonga returned for payback the first time, she's got even more reason for vengeance now. We'll need to be prepared no matter what the sitch turns out to be."

As they all climbed into the SL Coupe, Kim fired up the rockets, and they were soon on their way to the Middleton Space Center.

* * *

The previous evening's conversation had played out like so many others before, with Drakken ranting about being left in the lurch by Shego and the inability of central European auto makers to design a halfway decent car, and Shego responding with her usual sarcasm directed both at his driving ability and his obsession with karaoke bars.

Today's conversation wasn't going much better, but they had at least decided to move from their wrecked location to a time-share lair, at least for the time being.

Dr. Drakken whined, "Shego, I really will need your help in moving some of the remaining equipment. You know how clumsy some of the henchmen are."

Shego just folded her arms. "Dr. D, we just got what amounts to a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card from all the law enforcement powers-that-be. I don't know about you, but I'm taking advantage of this and going on a long vacation."

"But Shego, you can't just ..."

"VA – CA – TION! What part of that don't you understand?" She put her hands on her hips for emphasis. "Besides, I think I can still reschedule that deep tissue massage with Midas." _Ah, I miss his golden touch_. "That is, if Greece is still standing."

Drakken frowned as he thought of that muscle-bound moron touching Shego. His Shego. Then he remembered Ron's advice. "_She seems to respect strength. Try a direct approach._"

He took a deep breath and said, "But what about ... us?"

One of Shego's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

Several seconds of very uncomfortable silence followed.

He began to waffle. "Well, you're still under contract. And I still need help with my, uh, scientific research into, um, a possible antidote for my mutated form."

"So instead of your henchwoman, I'm now, what? Your _lab assistant_?"

"Even more, if you wanted."

Several more seconds of very uncomfortable silence followed.

Shego deadpanned, "More, as in exactly what?"

Drakken thought quickly, as he swiftly reconsidered what he'd been about to say. "Um, well, I'm sure that either some chemical or agricultural firm would be interested in my inventions and formulas. Maybe we could be ... partners? Purely professional of course."

"Of course, purely professional," Shego replied, a little too quickly.

"And, heh-heh, you know how I can never tell those pistils and stamens apart."

She gave him a very strange look.

He thought to himself, O_h, I'm such an idiot._ _Why can't I just say what I want to say? _

He launched ahead with the same brash confidence displayed during the Charge of the Light Brigade, but he secretly feared the same disastrous result.

"Ah, well, that didn't quite come out quite right, did it? Of course I know the difference between pistils and stamens. The stamens are the female part of the plant, and the pistils are the male part of the plant which procreates ... I mean, _pollinates_ the flower so it can have little flower babies ... er, shoots ... "

His flower petals popped out again from beneath his collar, but this time they were even a deeper shade of yellow than before, matching the intensity of his rapidly blushing cheeks.

As a vision of Custer's Last Stand suddenly appeared in his mind, he hit his head with his hand several times and thought, O_h, do shut up, Drew ..._

Shego had also begun to blush, but with a curious shade of green. An undecipherable look had appeared on her face as well.

"Uh, Dr. D, I've got to, um, go pick up some dry cleaning before I leave, so if you'll excuse me ..."

Shego beat a hasty retreat. As soon as she was outside, she leaned up against the wall and doubled over laughing. Wiping a tear from her eye, she observed, "Well, if it wasn't obvious before that he's crushing on me, it is now."

Her laugh began to peter out as she started to realize something. "Then, why can't I tell him how _I _feel?" She hit her head with her hand as she realized what the obvious answer was.

"Duh! I've cultivated my snarky, sarcastic _uberbitch_ persona for so long, I think I may have forgotten how. And even if I could, that would upset the status quo, change the balance of power between me and Dr. D, and just ... ruin _everything_ if it didn't work out. And then my own reputation would be shot, if it's not too late already."

She began to wonder if Jack Hench didn't still have an extra Moodulator lying around somewhere. "No. Turn myself back into a lovesick, doe-eyed schoolgirl? Yuck. Not my style at all. And it would probably scare the crap out of poor Drew, just like the last time. Nothing good ever came of that damn thing anyway. Well, except maybe that once. But that's all in the past now."

She began to walk toward her car.

"Man, I _really_ need that vacation now, before I start talking to myself ..."

* * *

Kim and Ron were soon flying over the Middleton Space Center. Below them lay the wreckage of the massive Lorwardian warship, being painstakingly reconstructed by National Transportation Safety Board personnel in the large field beside the center. The NTSB had been called in to assist the Space Center in putting the pieces back together in an attempt to discover the craft's secrets.

Technicians from the Space Center were also crawling all over the three large sections of the ship which had totally come apart during the crash. The command section had taken the brunt of the impact and was almost completely wrecked. The center section, which had contained the robotic attack craft which had wreaked such havoc, had fared only slightly better. But the third section, containing the ship's engine, had suffered comparatively little damage.

However, as soon as the two teens had landed, they were immediately surrounded by soldiers with guns drawn.

Ron muttered, "Uh, so not the friendly welcome, KP."

A guard quickly spoke. "Halt! Identify yourselves!"

Kim folded her arms and said smugly, "Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, world savers? My dad works here at the center."

A general swiftly drove up in a jeep. "Stand down, men! These folks are A-OK." He turned to Kim and Ron and said, "Sorry about that, you two. We've got to keep security tight here while your father leads us all in the inspection of this monster."

Kim's face brightened. "General Sims!" she gushed. "I thought I recognized you!"

With a small tip of his hat, he replied, "At your service, Miss Possible. And thanks again for saving Area 51 from that overgrown poodle."

She waved her hand dismissingly. "No big, General. Nothing a giant naked mole rat couldn't handle."

Rufus popped up smiling, saying "_Yessir!_" to the general and saluting with one tiny paw.

General Sims drove them over to where Dr. Possible was standing. He was conferring with Wade, who had also just arrived. As Kim and Ron walked up to them, Ron tried to remain cheerful.

"Hey, Dr. P, that's one badical spaceship!"

Dr. Possible began grinning like a kid who had just been given the keys to a toy store. And this was the mother of all toy stores so far as he was concerned.

"Yes, Ronald, _badical_ would be a good description. Once we finish analyzing it, we'll be light years ahead of where we were before, technologically speaking. Ah, if Vlad Lukovich could only see me now. He was a rocket scientist and my childhood hero, you know. I wrote him many times, but never heard back from him ..."

Dr. Possible grinned slyly.

"Until _today!_ He just wrote and asked if he could see the Lorwardian spacecraft, and maybe take a tour of the Space Center! I was so excited when I read his letter, I just yelled out, '_Rockets are go!'_ He's 76 and retired now, but he said he'd try to be here next Friday. It's a childhood dream come true. But, I digress."

Kim couldn't help but smile at her father's good fortune as he continued.

"We're especially fortunate that its engine is still in good shape, and in more than one way. I suspect that antimatter is used in its propulsion system, and if there had been a containment breach, poof! No more Middleton. But we're completely safe now. Once that off switch was hit, the engine automatically powered itself down."

Wade jumped in. "Guys, we're positive that this is some kind of faster-than-light drive. This will revolutionize space travel as we know it. And we may need it sooner than later, now that we know that at least one of the Lorwardians got away."

Dr. Possible then said, "Let's all take a closer look."

They all began to climb onto the scaffolding that had been set up at near the rear of the ship's command section. Once inside, they could easily see the scorching caused by smaller cruiser's emergency departure. A smear of dried green blood could be seen trailing from the hatch leading to the mothership's bridge. It ended abruptly right where the hatch into Warmonga's cruiser would have been located. Technicians were already taking samples of the scorch marks and the dried blood, but the implications were all too clear. The smiles disappeared from their faces, and were replaced by looks of intense concern.

Kim spoke in a hushed voice, "Dad, Ron really thinks that they'll be back. We've got to form a plan to deal with them if that happens."

Dr. Possible thought deeply for a moment. "I agree, Kim. I'll continue working on cracking the secrets of the propulsion system, and see if it can be adapted for our own use."

Kim was rapidly going into mission mode. "Wade, see if you can determine what kind of computer technology they used. If there's any data that survived, we may be able to learn what their communication frequencies are. If that can be jammed somehow, it might upset the coordination of their battle pods as a backup to Drakken's mutagenic powers. And it might also provide us with an early warning of their approach."

Wade answered, "I'll get right on it, Kim."

"After that, see if you can find how their interstellar navigation works. That might give us a clue where their planet is located, or at least where in space to be looking for their approach." She then turned to General Sims. "General, does the military have any plans for recovering all those battle pods? We may be able to adapt their weapons and power sources for our own use."

The general smiled. "Already one step ahead of you, Miss Possible. We've already gathered most of them up. Some have gone to Area 51, some to Washington, and some to the Middleton Institute of Technology. Don't worry, we'll figure out what makes them tick."

She turned to Ron with a slight grimace. "As much as I hate to say it, Ron, I think we need to pay a certain doctor a social call."

"Good idea, KP. Besides, he and I forgot to exchange insurance info when we had our accident ..."

* * *

By late afternoon, Drakken had almost everything unpacked and set up in the new time-share lair. As two of his henchman brought in the last container, a sample of mutagen slipped out of the box and shattered on the floor. Instantly a huge bloom of flowers pinned the other henchman to the ceiling.

He grimaced as he tried to break free, and griped, "Way to go, Bob."

Drakken just shook his head. Good help was so hard to find these days. However, his mood changed for the better after opening a letter from the US Department of Agriculture, confirming that he would be able to obtain an abundance of equipment and supplies from them, free of charge. But not before the FBI, CIA, NSA, Global Justice, and a few agencies even _he_ had never heard of had checked everything out and approved it first, just in case he had changed his mind about any future take-over-the-world schemes.

However, he was _not_ happy that Shego was going on an extended vacation. He found her lack of commitment both unhelpful and unprofessional. He really could have used her help in unpacking. And, he missed her terribly.

The phone rang. Slightly irritated, he answered it.

"No, for the umpteenth time, Dr. Dementor is no longer here! He's moved, and ... how should I know where he is now? He left no forwarding address or number, and ... _No!_ _I will not take a message!_" He slammed the phone back down on its cradle.

The phone immediately rang again. He grabbed the phone and yelled, "_Stop calling me, you idiotic_ ... oh, hello, Shego. Sorry, I thought you were someone else ... Yes, I'm all set up, and ... yes, all the law enforcement agencies have approved everything, and ... uh huh, that's right, the lair's been brought up to code ... yes, the Middleton Fire Department just inspected everything, including the extra smoke detectors and fire suppression equipment ... and yes, they're now on my speed dial ... uh, huh ... yes, I just turned in the Change of Address form to the Post Office, and ... yes, I won't forget to call Mama Lipsky ... okay, then. I'll see you when you get back. And Shego, uh ... have a nice trip. Goodbye, Shego."

He hung up, but continued to stare at the phone for a few moments, willing it to ring again and have Shego be on the other end. Breathing a small sigh, he turned away. A strange thought then struck him.

_Funny, she's never been so concerned about everything like that before when she's gone on vacation ..._

Just then, a knock was heard at the lair's entrance. He grumbled as he trudged over to the door. "That better not be a Pixie Scout hawking her muffins. I am _not _in the mood ..."

Opening it, the two people he least expected to see were waiting on his doorstep.

"Dr. Drakken, we need to talk ..."

_

* * *

_

_Well, Team Possible's plans are in motion for Earth's defense, while Ron ponders a trip back to Yamanouchi, and Shego takes some needed R & R. But is time on their side? And how will a former enemy react to a plea for help? Update soon._


	7. Plans and Permissions

Drakken sneered, "Oh, it's you two. I must say, this is the first time I remember you actually knocking on the door instead of just kicking it down or materializing out of thin air."

Kim tried to be polite. "Dr. Drakken, may we come in?"

"_Doctor_ Drakken? My, my, so formal, Kimberly Ann." He sighed. "By all means." He motioned for them to enter. He gave Ron a small nod but tried to avoid eye contact with Kim. Ron easily responded, "Hey Dr. D, how's it goin?" Drakken just rolled his eyes as Team Possible sat down.

Drakken frowned as he asked, "Here for the housewarming? Sorry, but that won't be until next week."

Kim was desperately trying to maintain at least a small degree of politeness, but it was getting harder by the moment. This wasn't surprising considering their mutual history, so Kim just gritted her teeth and forced herself not to respond sarcastically.

"This isn't just a simple social call, Dr. Drakken. We have some important information to share with you. We've just come from the Middleton Space Center, and ..."

Ron interjected, "Well, not directly, actually. We went by your old lair which had a 'For Sale' sign on it, so we checked with the Post Office which had your new forwarding address, then Kim got lost when she accidentally turned onto the wrong ..."

Kim shot Ron a scathing look which stopped him mid-sentence.

"Uh, not important right now ..."

Drakken was getting impatient as well. "Would you two _please _come to the point?"

Kim hesitated, then simply said, "We think Warmonga is still alive and on her way back to Lorwardia. If that's true, she'll probably decide to bring back a few more of her friends with her when she returns."

This time it was Drakken's turn to be speechless. He instantly paled as the news sunk in.

"Oh, snap."

A few more seconds passed before he regained a bit of his composure. "So, may I assume that this is just a friendly warning, or are you actually going to ask me for my help?"

Ron spoke up. "Uh, well, a little of both really. You and I defeated them once before, so maybe, uh, we can do it again?"

"Perhaps. But we'll probably need to clone you and me both, in order to build an army capable of ..."

Before Drakken could continue, Kim and Ron immediately yelled out in unison, "_No clones!"_

Kim continued, "Dr. Drakken, we really don't know what to expect, but unless Warmonga really _has_ had enough of us, escalation seems the most likely sitch. And as much as our own mutual history might work against it, we may all be needed to rescue the world, one more time. And this time, the ultimate survival of the entire planet may depend on us."

Drakken thought for a moment. "So you're saying we should start working together again, and probably sooner than later. Is that correct?"

Kim sighed, "Yeah, that's about the size of it."

"Well, as much as I _don't_ relish the thought of working with you again, my dear teen friend, the thought of Warmonga returning with an alien armada appeals to me even less. But there's one thing you should know first. Shego has gone on an extended vacation, and I don't know when she'll be returning." _Or if_, he thought to himself. "So for the moment at least, you'll be dealing just with me."

In more than one way, Kim breathed a small sigh of relief. "Dr. D, I hope that we'll be able to set aside our past differences, and bury the hatchet."

Ron muttered, "Yeah, just as long as it's not in each other's back."

Drakken grimaced at the comment. "Well then, where do we start?"

"I guess we should see about creating as much of your mutagen as possible, and then begin to stockpile it at strategic locations throughout the world. By the way, do you have any idea of what the range of your plant control is?"

Drakken stroked his chin in thought. "Hmm. Well, theoretically, it could extend as far as their root systems are connected. The problem being of course, I can't be everywhere at once. Me taking out a few score of warbots and, uh, Rob here taking care of two Lorwardians are one thing, but what if we end up facing thousands of each, or more? You may truly be _all that_, Kim Possible, but I don't think that even _we _could withstand an attack of that magnitude."

Kim hesitated for a moment, then launched into a pep talk. "But Drakken, we can't just give up. We beat them before, and we can do it again. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but if we all work together we can do it."

Drakken frowned as he crossed his arms. "Using your cheer skills to rally the home team, Kimberly? I'm sure that's worked well for you before in football games, but we're talking about defending the entire planet against a force bigger and more evilder .. uh, more monumongously gargantuous . . . than anything . . . Arghh!" He yelled out in frustration, "_The odds are so against us that there may be no real hope!_"

But a brief flicker of hope did pass over his face as an idea sprang into his mind. "Perhaps they would allow us to work out some kind of settlement acceptable to both sides? Then perhaps there would be a lot less hurting, particularly of _us_, involved?"

Kim was horrified. "Drakken, I will _not _surrender without a fight! If they really want this planet, they'll have to go through me and Ron first! And if you won't help, you're on your own. I won't say I'm not scared too, but I will _not_ deal with a defeatist." She huffed, "Let's go, Ron."

Kim angrily got up and stormed toward the door. But before she could make a dramatic exit, Drakken held up a hand in supplication.

"I'm sorry, uh, Kimberly. I really didn't mean to sound defeatist, but without Shego, I'm not feeling very hopeful right now. Perhaps I'll feel differently once she returns. But right now, I just need time to ... to think some things through, that's all. Why don't you give me a call in about a week or so? I might come up with some other ideas by then."

Drakken walked them to the door and gave them a weak smile. "Thanks for the warning. Let's, uh, do lunch sometime."

Kim and Ron stepped out the door of the lair and into the afternoon sunlight, not sure exactly what to say.

Kim was perplexed. "Ron, that was just so ... so ..."

"Awkweird? Yup."

"Ron, I've seen Drakken happy, I've seen him angry, I've seen him maniacally victorious and I've seen him bitterly frustrated, but I've never seen him so ..."

"Whipped?" Ron shook his head. "KP, the man's in love and won't admit it to either himself or anyone else. And if we don't do something about it, Drakken may end up being no help to us or the rest of the world."

Kim's jaw dropped. "Are you trying to tell me that in order to save the world, we need to become _matchmakers_ for our former archenemies?"

Ron crossed his arms. "Well, yeah. Unless you think that we can hold off a full-scale Lorwardian invasion by ourselves."

Kim looked pensive for a moment. "I'll really have to give this some thought, Ron. This just seems so sick and wrong on _so_ many levels."

Ron put his hand on her shoulder. "Kim, do you remember when you said, 'It took him 12 stinking years to kiss me?' That was _me _you were talking about. I eventually came around and now we're an item, as well as a team. Now we're talking about another team-slash-couple that could be standing between Earth's freedom and its annihilation. And yes, I know what the word _annihilation_ means: it was on Barkin's pop quiz the last week of school."

By now, the very thought of all this had turned Kim an exquisite shade of pale green. Ron's logic, however, was inescapable. "Well, when you put it like that ..."

* * *

It was nearly sunset before Ron and Kim had finalized their plan of attack, both with Shego and their choice of colleges.

"Okay, Ron, I'll try to locate Shego and at least encourage her to return and help Dr. Drakken. But I want to make it very clear that I will _not_ be trying to get them together romantically! That's their business. My business is saving the world, period. After that, I'll return to Middleton and coordinate our efforts in preparing for any future Lorwardian attack, and figure out if there's any kind of early warning system we can devise, if at all possible." Kim smiled with renewed confidence. "And we both know anything is possible for a Possible."

Ron agreed. "Sounds great, KP. In the meantime, I'll leave for Yamanouchi as soon as I can, and hopefully be back before the end of summer so we can start our first semester of college."

Although Kim disliked making hasty decisions, time was quickly running out for them both so far as college was concerned. She had actually been trying to narrow down her nearly countless options ever since her parents had both tried to push her in the direction of their respective alma maters. Ron, however, had remained the biggest question mark in her mind. She knew how strongly she felt toward him and didn't want to be separated from him for any extended length of time, but she didn't want to settle for second best as far as college was concerned either.

After reviewing their many choices, the final decision had turned out to be much easier than expected. The University of London had rolled out the red carpet for Kim with not only a full scholarship, but all other expenses paid as well. Their Department of International Relations was very eager to have her begin their degree program in International Diplomacy. The program would also give her the flexibility of pursuing a career with Global Justice, which Dr. Director had heartily endorsed. In fact, her recommendation had played a big part in getting Kim accepted there in the first place. The tiebreaker had been their carte blanche promise to allow her any reasonable excuse from classes for any important missions that might come up. Ron was happy with his choice as well. The prestigious _Le Cordon Bleu International_ in London had warmly accepted him, where he would work towards the _Le Grande Diploma_ in the Culinary Arts.

The fact that Ron would now be close to Kim during their next great adventure in life not only sweetened the deal, but sealed it as well. Each of them now had the best of many worlds: college together abroad but still in a country where the language would not pose a problem, and both in a college suited to developing each of their unique talents. Team Possible could continue with their crime-fighting exploits, and since London was also a major world transportation and communications hub, Wade wouldn't have any problem staying in contact or arranging mission rides. Most importantly, Kim wouldn't have to worry about trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with her BF/BF. Her biggest concern now was if there would still _be_ a London after Warmonga and Company returned.

Kim put that thought out of her mind as she looked forward to a much happier occasion: her eighteenth birthday. Ron had promised a special dinner at _Chez Couteaux_ for the next evening. She had agreed, but with two stipulations. First, no coupons. Second, Ron had to leave the Smarty Mart vest at home. He promised that without reservation, then corrected himself telling her that he _had_ made a reservation, but had no reservations about her request. Besides, _Chez Couteaux_ still didn't provide a brown crayon with their kiddie picture, and he found it hard to get the otter's color just right with just the red and green crayons. Kim had simply rolled her eyes in response.

Ron had been anticipating Kim's birthday for several months, even before their graduation and the planetary invasion which interrupted it. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved her, and that she loved him. Although he had feared the end of the world after their graduation, that hadn't happened. Nor had the Lorwardians ended the world either. It had only been the end of the world for Barkin's car. Strike that, _both_ of Barkin's cars.

His fear had been replaced by hope. The center would hold, and downhill was only now only a reference to skiing. Even with the news about Warmonga, and in spite of (or was it because of?) his Mystical Monkey Power, he and Kim realized that their love was beyond the ordinary. As Yori had once said, he was her destiny.

Ron knew that he still needed to get a handle on his whole superpower thing, but Sensei had promised help with that as soon as he returned to Yamanouchi for his final training. With Kim however, he felt at last that now was the right time to ask her a very important question. But that question would have to wait until permission was first granted by a certain parental authority. To get that, Ron would have to face his greatest fear: a fear beyond Wannaweep, beyond monkeys, spiders and tiny insects, beyond supervillains past, present and future. And the time to gain that permission had to be tonight.

Kim was anxious to tell her parents what they had decided college-wise. Ron convinced her that she should tell her mom, while he would break the news to her dad. It was still early evening as Kim happily headed toward the Middleton Medical Center, while Ron embarked on his own rendezvous with destiny at the Middleton Space Center.

Ron was nervous. Not like he had been before, afraid of losing his pants once again. He was so over that by now, having gotten used to the countless times it had occurred, facing its inevitability with almost Zen-like fatalism. Nor was it like facing yet another enemy, where split second timing could mean the difference between victory and defeat ... well, okay, so most of the time he had blundered his way to victory, accidentally destroying the doomsday weapon _du jour_ or inadvertently flipping that one switch that would shut the weapon down. This time it would be facing Kim's father, and asking him a simple question with a simple answer. Yes or no. Ron was about to ask him for Kim's hand in marriage.

He had thought about putting it off until after his return from Yamanouchi, but with the imminent return of the Lorwardians, he figured the sooner the better. As he puttered his scooter towards the Space Center, his mind went back to the previous evening when he had talked over his decision with his father. His father not only approved, but also revealed to Ron that the royalty checks from Bueno Nacho for his invention of the Naco had continued to arrive. He had set up a trust fund for Ron that he would be able to start receiving disbursements from once he turned eighteen, now only a few months away.

When Ron had asked his father how much those disbursements would be, he said it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000. Ron was very grateful, and told his father that that would go real far in helping him through college. Ron's pants nearly fell down by their own volition when his father informed him that the $25,000 wasn't an annual but a _monthl_y figure, and after taxes as well.

When he had asked his father why he hadn't told him before, he smiled and replied that this _was_ his way of telling him. The only proviso was that he either be gainfully employed or else attending college in order to begin receiving money from the trust. And now that their choice of colleges had been made, he and Kim would be free from almost any conceivable financial difficulties, just as long as he didn't go wild like he had before: which was of course the reason for the trust, and his father's stipulation.

Ron had barely been able to contain his excitement as he walked in the door of his home the previous night, anxious to tell Kim the great news. But as soon as he saw Shego's note in Kim's hand, he quickly realized that his entire plan was threatened with derailment. His increased state of anxiety had then culminated with the subconscious activation of his Mystical Monkey Power, and briefly, things looked even grimmer. Surprisingly, the result of that event convinced him even more that he and Kim belonged together, no matter what. He wasn't going to allow college, finances, disapproving parents, or even Lorwardians to stand in the way of making Kim his betrothed. Now, college and finances were free and clear. He thought to himself, _That's two down and two to go._

Ron pulled up to the Space Center and parked his scooter. "Now comes the hard part, Rufus. Ya with me, old buddy?" Rufus winked at Ron, giving him a thumbs-up signal. Ron suddenly had a terrible vision of Mr. Dr. P saying no, causing him to unconsciously activate his Mystical Monkey Power, and ...

Ron shook his head. "Ugh. Not good. I've just got to put any negative thoughts aside. Head in the game, mind on the goal, eyes on the prize. Just take a deep breath and focus."

He closed his eyes, inhaled slowly and let it out even slower. Almost as an afterthought, he double checked his pants to make sure they were securely fastened. Ron strode down the hallway to Dr. Possible's office and knocked on the door.

A weary voice from within said, "Come in."

Ron stepped into the office, trying to smile but hoping that it didn't look forced, or that he had gas.

"Hey, Mr. Dr. P, sir. Could I have a moment of your time?"

Dr. Possible was sitting behind his desk, busy finishing up some paperwork. He could tell right away that something was up. "Sure, Ronald. What can I do for you?"

Ron could hear Mr. Barkin's voice echoing in his mind, "_Point of no return ..._" His palms started getting clammy as he tried to remember the speech he had studiously practiced.

"Dr. P, you know that Kim and I have known each other for a real long time, and we've been dating for just over a year now. We ... we both wanted to let you know that we've decided to attend college in London. She's chosen the University of London and I've picked Le Cordon Bleu International. We only just decided this afternoon, so we wanted to let you and Mrs. Dr. P know right away. Kim's over at the hospital telling her right now. But there's, uh, something else I wanted to ask you as well."

Beads of sweat had appeared on Ron's forehead. "Dr. P, I'm very much in love with Kim, especially after rescuing her last week and everything, and, uh, well, I was wondering if I, uh, might ask you for ..."

Ron started to feel faint as his vision began to blur. Dr. Possible had a feeling what was coming and looked at Ron closely, wondering if he might pass out first. Ron hesitated for another moment as his knees began to buckle, but Rufus suddenly pinched him very hard. Ron blurted out, "_Kim's hand in marriage!_"

Now it was Dr. Possible's turn to hesitate. He slowly got up from behind his desk and silently walked over to the window. The sun was slowly setting now, brightly illuminating the few remaining clouds with a bright reddish-orange hue. A peaceful look came over his face as he thought, "_The color of Kim's hair, and of Anne's hair when I proposed to her . . ._"

His reverie now ended, he frowned as he turned back to Ron. "Isn't this a bit sudden, Ronald? Have you really thought this through? And how will support yourself and my Kimmie-Cub?"

Some of the color had returned to Ron's cheeks now that the big question had been asked. Now he had to convincingly provide all the right reasons. He was suddenly thankful for all the extra homework Mr. Barkin had ever assigned, which had now ironically sharpened the very skills he needed to reply. "I have, sir. Once I reach eighteen, I'll be receiving a $25,000 per month stipend thanks to a trust my dad set up, funded by my royalties from Bueno Nacho for the invention of the Naco."

Dr. Possible smiled. "Well, money certainly won't seem to be a problem. No more expensive _man jewelry_, I assume?"

Ron laughed self-consciously and nodded. "No sir, no more bling-bling."

Dr. Possible suddenly realized that Ron would actually be making nearly as much as _he _was at the present time.

"But are you both sure that you're really ready to make a lifetime commitment like this? Marriage isn't a cakewalk, Ronald. No matter how you may feel about each other right now, marriage is often hard work."

Ron looked Dr. Possible in the eye and began speaking with calm deliberation. "Dr. P, last week I ... we ... almost lost Kim. I put myself in danger and faced two powerful aliens twice my size which were bent on killing her and enslaving the world, and I defeated them. That put things in perspective for me. It not only clarified my feelings for Kim, but my commitment to her too. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her, and there's no one else I could even conceive of devoting my life to. We've grown up together, we've fought bad guys together, and we've already faced more things together than most other couples face in a lifetime. And we've also both made mistakes, and gotten on each other's nerves at times, but we've learned to forgive each other too."

Ron took a deep breath as he continued. "And now, it looks like we'll be facing an enemy unlike anything the world has ever seen before. I just want to keep Kim safe, because if she got hurt, that would be too big a loss for me to bear. I want to face them with Kim by my side, not as her sidekick, but as her partner. And with me as her husband, and her as my wife."

Dr. Possible was moved by the conviction and seriousness of Ron's tone. He also felt the depth of Ron's concern for Kim, and his commitment both to her and the world. _Yes, he's grown older almost overnight_. Then he asked, "Ronald, have you actually proposed to Kim yet?"

Ron shook his head. "No, sir, I felt I should talk this over with you first."

Dr. Possible smiled and nodded in approval as he thought, "_Well, that's an unusual degree of respect, even for Ron."_

He turned back to the window, deep in thought. The sun had set by now, and the long shadows over the remains of the Lorwardian warship were fading into night. The planet Venus was glittering in the evening sky, and Mars was also shining brightly, its red hue contrasting with the silver of its sister world. "_Venus, goddess of love, and Mars, god of war, with Ronald and Kim right in the thick of what those two planets represent. And together they may be our greatest chance for survival ..._"

The silence was deafening as Ron tried to discern Dr. Possible's thoughts.

James then turned toward Ron, and smiled.

"Yes, Ronald. You may have my Kimmie-Cub's hand in marriage. I would be proud to have you as my son-in-law. And I know you'll always love and protect her, so I won't ever have to worry about sending you on a deep space probe into a black hole. _Right?_"

He was about to shake Ron's hand, but Ron simply fell over backwards as he passed out from relief. Rufus was absolutely elated, leaping into the air and shouting, "_WHOOPEE!_"

The tiny naked mole rat smiled and thought, "_Well, th__at's one big hurdle we're over now, but there are several more to go. I just hope that we're all not too late ..._"

* * *

_Team Possible moving to London? And a much relieved Ron now that Dr. P has conferred his blessing. But will Kim be as eager? And just what does Rufus know that they don't? Update soon ... _


	8. The Best Laid Plans

Chez Couteaux was one the swankiest and expensive restaurants in Middleton. With Ron's past cash flow problems, he had only taken Kim there a few times, and usually with mixed results. This time, however, he was determined to make the evening both successful and memorable. For tonight, he would propose marriage to his dream girl and lifelong friend, Kim Possible.

All the pieces had finally fallen into place, and Ron was determined that nothing, absolutely _nothing_ would spoil this special event. But if the past was any indication, this meant that either total disaster or total chaos would ensue, and only time would tell which. He sighed as he walked into the jewelry store to pick up the engagement ring that he had specially ordered for Kim.

Ron was greeted by the oily salesman. "Welcome to Dizzy David's Discount Jewelers! Please have a pastry, they're free! And I see that you're a discerning customer, taking advantage of our Post-World-Invasion Fire Sale!"

Ron mumbled, "Uh, yeah. There seems to be quite a few of those these days." Ron noticed something vaguely familiar about the salesman, who was dressed in a blue plaid jacket and green-striped tie, a fashion 'don't' even for Ron, who was not usually known for his sense of clothing style. "So, is, uh, Dizzy David in today?"

"No, I'm just filling in for him since this is his day off. I'm his brother, Wally. _Saaay_, you look familiar! Ever buy a weather machine in Minnesota?"

Ron snapped his fingers. "_That's _where I've seen you before! You're Wacky Wally! Kim and I helped you recover one of your stolen weather machines from Dr. Drakken and Shego!"

"Oh, yeah! That blue guy and the girl in green? _Rrroww!_ She was _hot_ if you know what I mean, uh-huh, uh-huh?" He gave Ron a sly wink. "And didn't you folks all just save the world last week?"

Ron smiled in a self-deprecating manner as he answered, "Yeah, heh-heh, that was us alright."

"_WELLLL,_ we just happen to have a special for world-savers, today only! I'm sure that Ms. Shego would simply _love_ this five-carat emerald solitaire ... "

Ron blanched at the thought. "Uh, no, I'm actually here to pick up my _engagement ring_ for my soon-to-be _fiancée_, Kim Possible. But thanks for the offer. I'll be sure to pass that info along to Dr. D, just in case."

Without missing a beat, Wacky Wally quickly backpedaled, "But of course, sir! Name please?"

"Stoppable. Ron Stoppable."

He made a quick check. "Yes, I have it right here. A one-carat blue-white brilliant-cut diamond, with four quarter-carat emeralds in a platinum setting."

Wally handed the ring to Ron, who exclaimed, "Wow! That's one bon-diggety ring!"

Wally nodded in agreement. "It's a beautiful piece, and actually quite unusual. If you don't mind me asking, is there any significance to the stones and colors?"

Ron answered, "Well, Kim is a one-of-kind girl, so I wanted something unique and a little out of the ordinary for her. After considering all my choices, Rufus here liked the diamond's color, and Kim's birthstone is an emerald. Besides, they match her eyes perfectly." His trademark goofy grin began to play at the corners of his mouth.

Wally gave him a wide, smarmy smile. "Well, I must say, it's quite striking. I'm sure she'll love it."

Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket, and armed with his own miniature loupe, took a close look at the ring. He smiled at Ron, giving him a thumbs-up and a cheerful "_A-OK!_"

"Very well, then. The base price is $15,000, minus the 5% World Savers discount. Plus tax, your total comes to $15,191." He smiled charmingly as he continued, "And you thought I was kidding about that discount, didn't you? So, how would you like to pay for this today?"

"My dad said to put it on his credit card." Ron handed him his father's American Excess card.

"Very good, just sign here please." Ron signed the tag and handed it back to him.

"Just one moment as I get an okay on this, please." He made a swift swipe of the card through an electronic device which also read Ron's signature. A few seconds later the transaction was approved.

"There you are Ron, and good luck! Oh, and to guarantee good weather on your honeymoon, don't forget to stop by Wacky Wally's Weather Machines for our Honeymoon Special!"

As Ron beat a hasty retreat, he replied, "Uh, thanks. I'll try to remember that ..."

Meanwhile, a rather large transaction suddenly appeared on the computer screen of an attentive American Excess employee. She quickly dialed the home number of the cardholder.

The phone rang a few times at the Stoppable residence. Mrs. Stoppable called out, "Kim, would you mind getting that? I'm in the middle of changing Hana."

Kim answered, "No problem, Ruth." She picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

The voice at the other end responded, "Hello, this is American Excess calling. Is Mr. Stoppable available, please?"

Kim politely replied, "No, sorry. He's not here right now. Can I take a message?"

"Yes, please. His credit card was just used to make a $15,191 purchase at Dizzy David's Discount Jewelers in Middleton. The tag was signed by a Ronald Stoppable, and we just were making a courtesy call to verify that the use of the card was legitimate."

Kim's jaw dropped and her hands shot up to her mouth as she dropped the phone on the floor. Tears of joy began flowing down her cheeks as she realized exactly what was about to happen that evening.

From the receiver on the floor, the American Excess employee could still be heard. "_Hello? ... Hello? ..._"

* * *

Kim was beside herself with joy. But she realized that she couldn't really tell anyone until Ron actually popped the question. Or could she?

_Hmm. It wouldn't hurt to tell just Monique, would it?_

She ran up the stairs to grab her car keys, but immediately made a horrible discovery. The dress she was going to be wearing that evening was missing from the hanger that still hung from the bedroom door. Her face flared with anger as she growled just one word.

"Tweebs!"

She dashed back down the stairs and into the backyard, where Jim and Tim were flying a kite attached to some electronic equipment. The kite appeared to be covered in a sheer blue material, and the tail was made out of what looked like the straps and belt of a formal gown.

Kim furiously yelled, "You little maniacs! What have you done with my dress?"

Jim replied, "Chill out, Kim. Just a weather experiment we needed to do."

Tim continued, "And your dress was just the right material for our needs. Thanks!"

"nnnNNNGGGHHH! Remind me to kill you two later. Now I have to find another dress for tonight, pronto!"

Kim dashed to her car and jumped in. "Well, let's just hope that Club Banana is open and Monique can perform a fashion miracle." Then she giggled, "Well, it looks like I'll get to tell her after all ..."

A few minutes later she rushed into Club Banana, which was no worse for wear after the alien attack, although other stores in the mall hadn't fared nearly as well. Monique spotted her right away. "Kim! Girlfriend! How're you doin', girl? But you're not scheduled for work until tomorrow."

Kim breathlessly replied, "Never better, and never worse, Monique. First I've got some spankin' news that I'm just dying to tell you!"

"Well spill, girl! What's up?"

"I just found out that Ron is going ... to ... _PROPOSE!_"

Monique simply squealed with delight as she gave Kim a huge hug. "Oh, Kim! That's great! But how did you find out?"

Kim quickly recounted what happened. "Ron used his dad's credit card for a big purchase at a local jewelry store, and they called the house to verify that the charge was legit. I just happened to take the call."

A devilish grin appeared on Monique's face. "But what if it's not for you, Kim? What if it's for that green girl I've heard so much about?"

Kim grimaced. "SO not funny, Monique. If that were true, I'd have to kill both of them, and then _I'd _probably end up as Drakken's henchwoman."

They both looked at each for a moment, and then burst out laughing.

Kim quickly recovered. "So seriously, here's the sitch. Ron's taking me out to Chez Couteaux tonight, ostensibly _just_ for my birthday, but the dress I was going to wear is now flying as part of a kite over Middleton, thanks to the Tweebs. This is SO the drama, Monique! I need some formal threads _asap_ or else I'm _so _going to be in Embarrassment City."

"Ooh, that's just so many levels of wrong, Kim. But you've come to the right place, girl. I'll be glad to help. But with our fire sale, the pickins are kinda slim by now. Even worse, the aliens took out most of our distributors. This'll be tough, but you can count on me. Missions are your bag, but fashion's _my_ game, girl!"

Unfortunately, a quick search of the racks found nothing even remotely suitable to Kim's size or style. Kim rapidly searched a few other stores in the mall, but came up empty-handed there as well.

Kim fumed, "Ugh. I hope that I don't have to stoop to shopping at Smarty-Mart ..."

She rushed back into Club Banana, as close to a panic as she'd been in since, well, the prior week. But when she was greeted by Monique's wide grin, she knew that her best GF had hit pay dirt.

"Good news, Monique?"

"Take a look, Kim."

Monique swung the computer screen around. Kim took one look at the dress on the screen and rapidly took in a breath as her eyes went wide. "It's perfect!"

"And, it's in your size. Bad news is, it's in Denver."

"Oh, just great!" she huffed. "And on a Sunday, with only a half-hour before my hair appointment! This calls for drastic measures." Kim activated her Kimmunicator, and Wade appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Kim! What's up?"

"Emergency, Wade! Ron's taking me to Chez Couteaux tonight, but the Tweebs used my dress for a kite. I've found a perfect dress, but it's at Club Banana in Denver. I need a delivery from there to here, but I only have one hour!"

"Whoa. Tall order, Kim." He cracked his knuckles and smiled. "But I'm on it."

"Thanks Wade. As usual, you rock!" A dreamy look appeared on her face. "And I have a feeling that tonight is going to be very special ..."

"Yes, Kim. It is." He gave her a conspiratorial wink and smiled like the proverbial cat that had just eaten the canary.

Kim grinned and asked, "Wade, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Uh, gotta go, Kim!" Wade quickly hung up.

Monique commented, "That boy _definitely_ knows something he shouldn't, Kim!"

Kim just shook her head. "Yup. And I wonder just how many _other_ people know ..."

"No worries here, Kim. I'll keep the 'announcement' off the DL until you flag me."

As Kim ran from the store, she called back, "You rock, too, Monique! Thanks!"

* * *

Kim had just stepped in the front door from her hair appointment when she heard a truck drive up. The doorbell rang, and she rushed to the door where she was greeted by a UPS delivery man. She immediately recognized him.

"Chuck!" Kim beamed.

Chuck smiled as he tipped his cap. "Miss Possible. I think you'll be needing this for tonight." He handed her the box containing her new dress.

"But I thought you guys didn't deliver on Sunday? And that was quick, all the way from Denver!"

"Well, I had a little help ..." He pointed back to his truck, which was flanked on one side by a Denver police car and on the other by a Colorado State Trooper.

Kim's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, a police escort! Nice touch."

Chuck continued, "Besides, it's the least we could do considering how you unjammed our automatic sorting system in our main distribution center last Christmas Eve."

"Aw, no big, Chuck. It's amazing what you can do with a nail file and a can of WD-40."

"And good luck tonight, Miss Possible. Or should I say, the future Mrs. Stoppable?"

Kim's jaw dropped open. "Aw, Chuck, who spilled?"

He smiled and said, "Mr. Load clued me in when he explained how critical it was that you get this dress by 6 PM." With another tip of his cap, he turned and left.

Kim sighed. "Well, who _doesn't_ know that Ron is going to pop the question?"

The Denver policeman clicked on his bullhorn. "Congratulations on your imminent engagement, Miss Possible! We're all behind you!"

Kim began to blush bright red as she thought, "_Well, now that the entire neighborhood knows, why don't I just take out a full page ad in tomorrow's newspaper?_"

Jim and Tim came bounding down the stairs.

Jim yelled, "Kim! You're getting ..."

"... Married? Ewww!" Tim finished. "Just wait till we put this on our blog!"

Kim grabbed them both by their collars. In a very threatening tone she warned, "No blogging until _after_ Ron and I get home. He doesn't know that I know yet. And if you tell _anyone,_ I will kill you both in your sleep, grind your bones to dust, and give whatever's left to Shego to incinerate with her plasma. _Clear?_"

Shaking in mortal fear, they both nodded.

"Good. Now get outta here, I've only got a half hour to get ready."

They quickly retreated to the family room as Kim rushed upstairs to prepare for the evening.

"Hicka proposal boo?" Jim whispered.

Tim whispered back, "Hoosha! We're gonna be Ron's _brothers-in-law!_"

* * *

A few doors down from the Stoppables, Tricia Lipowski, lead anchor on the Middleton Evening News, was relaxing on her front porch after a very long week of worldwide alien invasion coverage. She had just taken a sip of her orange juice when she heard the policeman's announcement on his bullhorn. As the UPS truck and its attendant escorts drove away, she quickly grabbed her personal digicam and videotaped the small convoy of vehicles. Quickly running inside, she grabbed her cell phone and punched in a number on the speed dial.

"Roy? Stop the presses! We'll be pre-empting that update tonight on Angelina and Brad. And grab all the stock footage you can put your hands on that show Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable together ... Yes, that's right, the ones the just saved the world, again. I've just stumbled onto a scoop: it looks like he's about to propose to her! I'll be there in 20 minutes ..."

* * *

A few minutes later, Ron retuned home with his rented tux, the engagement ring carefully tucked in his pocket. Giving Kim her privacy by letting her get ready in his room, Ron dressed in the attic bedroom. As Ron put on his tux, he suddenly started to get nervous.

"Well, Rufus. Tonight's the big night. But what if she says no?" Ron began to panic. "What if she thinks I'm not ready, or she's not ready, or we're not ready, and my Mystical Monkey Power levels Chez Couteaux, and ..."

Rufus quickly jumped onto Ron's shoulder and began berating him with a string of furious mole rat gibberish.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're right. I've got nothing to worry about now. I just need to stay in the moment and enjoy the evening. Thanks, buddy."

Rufus replied, "_Sure! No problem!_" The naked mole rat then scurried into the other room.

Ron began looking at himself in the full-length mirror. As he put on his red tie and cummerbund, he was reminded of his recent James Blond sitch. Making one final adjustment, he spoke in his best Sean Connery imitation, "Yes, Miss Kimberly Ann, I'm Stoppable. Ron Stoppable. Will you ... marry me?"

Meanwhile, in the next room, Rufus was quickly but carefully soldering a tiny microchip into Kim's ring ...

With Mr. Stoppable and Hana proudly looking on, Mrs. Stoppable snapped the obligatory photos of the stylish couple, and soon Kim and Ron were on their way to the restaurant. Ron had already asked that Mr. and Mrs. Dr. P meet them back at the Stoppable residence at 10 PM so that he could make the official announcement to all of them at once. Mr. Dr. P couldn't bear to tell him that he had already broken the news to Anne, who had just cried with tears of joy upon hearing the news. Likewise, Mr. Stoppable had already tipped Mrs. Stoppable off, who had the same wonderful reaction.

As they pulled into the parking lot of Chez Couteaux, Ron cheerfully asked, "Well KP, ready for some French snackage? I know you'd prefer that over all the Cow-'n-Chow we've had lately." He sniffed wistfully, "But I sure do miss Bueno Nacho ..."

Kim happily replied, "You said it, Ron. I'm looking forward to a _really_ nice salad, not all that wilted stuff I've had to eat lately."

_And I'm really looking forward to saying yes to you, Ron. I wonder how you'll ask me? Down on one knee? Skywriting done in fireworks? _A horrifying thought struck her. _Oh, dear God, please don't let him do it wearing his Mad Dog mask ..._

Meanwhile, what appeared to be a striking young Canadian pop star was sitting at a table inside.

The waiter was obsequiously fawning over the songstress. "We're delighted to have you with us this evening, Miss Levigne. What may I start you with tonight?"

"Oh, please call me April, eh? And I'll start with those yummy calamari I've heard so much about."

"Right away, April." The waiter quickly left to put in the order.

The blond turned to the hairless Sphynx cat that was hiding in her oversized purse.

"Oh, Debutante, it's so hard to be me, especially when being me might get me taken back to _jail_. Prison was just so ... lame! But it was _so_ sweet of that yummy guard to lend me his keys after I morphed into his captain, allowing me to escape. But my problems have been epic this week, and now I'm stuck in this backwater burg because of that silly invasion thingy. At least I have my little Debutante here to keep me company!"

Debutante meowed and purred contentedly.

Camille Léon almost dropped her pop princess disguise when she saw Kim and Ron walk in the door.

"Now what are those two wannabes doing in a classy place like this? This is _so_ beyond Bueno Nacho."

The waiter seated the couple just a few tables away from her. As they ordered their appetizers, Ron noticed the faux songstress. "Don't look now Kim, but I think that's April Levigne sitting over there!"

Kim looked, but immediately waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, but she's _so _yesterday's news. And that recent hit of hers, _Boyfriend_? That song's so mean spirited."

"Yeah, I have to agree with you, KP. Well, hopefully she'll mellow out with age." Ron suddenly looked perplexed. "That's strange. I thought April was actually in the middle of a world tour promoting her new CD. Oh, well." Ron fingered the box containing the ring in his pants pocket. "Uh, excuse me KP, need to use the little boy's room. Be right back." He got up and headed past Camille, surreptitiously flagging down the waiter.

Ron whispered, "Uh, garkone, could I speak with you a minute?"

He replied snootily, "That's _gar__ç__on_, and yes, what can I do for you, sir?"

"Well, I'm going to propose to my girlfriend tonight, and I was wondering if you could drop this ring in a glass of sparkling cider and bring it over to our table when I give you the signal?"

Ron placed the ring in his hand as the waiter drolly replied, "Of course, sir. Happy to oblige."

Camille Léon had overheard Ron's little conversation, and was filled with wicked glee as a plan swiftly formed in her mind. "Ooh, _yesss!_ Like, _this_ is where I get my revenge on those dime-a-doz pretenders. And pick up a little bling as payback for all the trouble they've caused me!"

Debutante purred in agreement. A little too loud as it turned out, for Rufus spotted her immediately. As Ron walked toward the men's room, Rufus began gibbering excitedly and pointed toward the fake April.

"Yeah, I know, maybe I should get her autograph, but I've always gotten in trouble talking to other beautiful women when Kim's around, and I _especially_ want to be on my best behavior tonight since ..."

Rufus angrily chattered away, furiously waving his paws, pointing first at the waiter with the ring and then at Camille.

"What are you saying, Rufus? _Propose to April instead of Kim?_" He continued offhandedly, "Yeah, I know that she and Deryck have been on-again, off-again for years, but that's just _way _too wrongsick, little buddy!"

Rufus just slapped his head in frustration and said, "_Oh, brother!_" He quickly scrambled down and pursued the waiter, sensing that the ring would be Camille's immediate target.

"Man, what's gotten into Rufus?" Ron just shook his head as he went back to his table where Kim had just started on her appetizer.

As soon as Ron was seated, Camille whispered, "All right, Debutante, you know what to do. That ring is simply _poppin!_ Fetch that bling for me, my little sweetums!"

The waiter had just dropped the ring into a champagne glass of sparkling cider, when Rufus grabbed his attention by jumping up and down, wildly pointing in the other direction. As soon as the waiter looked, Rufus grabbed the ring out of the glass and ran.

The waiter yelled, "Hey! Come back here with that!" He began chasing Rufus, who had just ducked around the corner. Rufus jumped on a dessert cart that was being taken back into the kitchen. But as soon as he was inside the kitchen, the pastry chef spotted him, yelling, "_Ahh! _It's a rat! There's a hairless rodent in the kitchen!"

Pandemonium ensued as the kitchen staff began screaming, one chasing poor Rufus with a huge knife, another with a broom. He raced out the door, running right into Debutante.

Time momentarily stood still as they stared at each other in surprise. As Rufus held the ring in front of him, Debutante smiled and began mewing and purring. Rufus looked down at the ring, then back at Debutante. The look of love was shining in her feline eyes, as she thought that her favorite little naked mole rat was about to ...

"_Propose? Oh no!_" Rufus yelled, scampering away as quickly as he could, now with a love-sick Debutante in hot pursuit. He raced back around the corner, desperately trying to shake his lovesick pursuer while trying to protect Kim's engagement ring. Unfortunately, just as he rounded the next corner, Rufus skidded right into Camille Léon, who had just morphed into a waiter.

With a look of evil triumph, she sneered, "I'll just take that, you gross little pest!"

"I don't think so, April-masquerading-as-Garkone-who-is-really-Camille-Léon!"

Ron grabbed her arms from behind as Kim quickly used the restaurant's curtain rope to tie her up. Ron had spotted Camille morph into the waiter just as Wade was telling Kim that the real April Levigne was at that very moment singing _Skater Girl_ on stage at a live concert in Tokyo.

As Camille morphed back into herself, a victorious Kim declared, "Looks like you'll be doing your next pop singer impression in Cell Block D, Camille!"

Ron added, "Yeah, where you'll be keeping a perfect beat while you're doing time!"

Kim simply groaned and rolled her eyes.

Camille just sighed, "Whatevs, people. And me as a mathamusician? Right, _as if!_"

The clientèle of the restaurant immediately gave Kim and Ron a hearty round of applause for capturing Camille. The police had already been called and quickly arrived to take her away.

The restaurant manager came over to their table and thanked them both profusely. "Miss Possible and Mr. Stoppable, we are indebted to you for helping to capture that impostor. It's the least I can do to say that your dinner is on the house."

Ron gushed, "Wow, Kim! If we keep this up, we may never have to pay for snackage ever again!"

In the meantime, Rufus had gone back over to the waiter and dropped the ring back into the glass of sparkling cider. The waiter smiled and winked at Rufus, realizing now what he had been up to. Rufus smiled back, putting one tiny finger to his mouth and saying, "_Shhh! She still doesn't know ..._"

After things had calmed down, Kim and Ron resumed their dinner. Rufus had scurried back over to Ron and gave him a covert signal that everything was still ok. He breathed a sigh of relief that Kim hadn't seemed to have been tipped off, and that his surprise was still a secret.

Kim then queried, "Ron, I wonder what Camille Léon was doing here in Middleton? And why was she chasing Rufus?"

She toyed with her food as she gave Ron a sly '_I-know-something-that-you-don't-think-I-know' _look.

Ron looked away from Kim and suddenly found the shrimp scampi on his plate absolutely fascinating. He played with his food as he replied, "Uh, dunno Kim. Maybe Debutante was putting the moves on ol' Rufus?" He looked down at Rufus, who immediately picked up on the subterfuge.

"_Uh-huh, Uh-huh!_" Rufus quickly confirmed.

Ron gave a sly smile of his own. "There, a totally reasonable explanation."

Sensing that now was at last the right time, Ron took a deep breath, looked over at the waiter and nodded. The waiter nodded back and approached the table.

"Your beverage, Miss Possible." He set down the glass of effervescent liquid in front of Kim, the ring glittering at the bottom. Kim's eyes became as wide as saucers as she suddenly gasped in surprise. Although she had known for several hours what was about to transpire this evening, nothing could have prepared her for the actual moment. And that moment was ... _now_.

In a flash, she realized that she'd been looking forward to this event all of her life, and then thought back over the many years she had known Ron. Ron, the lazy goof-off, always losing his pants. Ron, her best friend since pre-K, and her fiercest protector in spite of his many fears and phobias. Ron, her partner in their many adventures together, having fought a cavalcade of villains as part of Team Possible. Ron, who had saved her very life and the lives of countless others on the planet barely a week ago. And Ron, the man who was now about to propose to her.

He had already gotten down on one knee. He took her hand in his, and looked deep into her beautiful emerald green eyes.

"Kim, we've been best buds forever, and we've dated for over a year now. Last week, I thought I was going to lose you. And just briefly, I did. But I fought to get you back, and I never want to lose you again. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Kim."

A tiny tear began to trickle out of the corner of Kim's eye, and her lip began to quiver.

"Kim, will you ... marry me?"

Time seemed to stand still as Ron awaited her answer. Rufus looked at Kim expectantly, nodding his head and willing her to _please_ say yes.

Even though Kim had been tipped off, she could hardly prepare for the emotional rush she now felt. This was the actual moment of truth. She was now experiencing a feeling she had rarely, if ever, felt before: giddiness. Kim Possible, the girl who could do anything, was suddenly tongue-tied by the question that so many women before her had been asked, and this time by the one boy ... no, _man_, that she truly and deeply loved. Taking a deep breath and looking back into Ron's expectant brown eyes, she answered.

"Yes, Ron. I'll marry you."

She embraced him tightly. As their lips then met in a deep, lingering kiss unlike any they had experienced before, Rufus happily did back flips across the table as an expression of his own joy and relief.

After that timeless moment was over, Ron simply reached into the glass, retrieved the ring and carefully dried it.

Ron smiled and said, "Now, let's make this official."

He gently took Kim's hand and placed the ring on her finger.

Kim just grinned as she admired her new ring. "There's just one condition, Ron."

Ron looked apprehensive. "Uh, what's that, KP?"

"Just as long as you don't call me at three in the morning to ask if we're still engaged. Or else all bets are off."

They both laughed with relief as they finished their dinner.

"Well, Kim, it's almost 10. I asked your dad to bring your mom over to the house so we could make the announcement to both our parents at once."

Kim gasped. "You mean my dad knows?" _Wow, and he didn't even launch Ron into the nearest black hole ..._

Ron grinned. "That's a big 10-4, KP. I asked him for your hand in marriage yesterday, and he gave me his permission. But only he, my dad, the jeweler and Rufus here know that I was going to ask you."

As they walked toward the exit, Kim warned, "Uh, Ron, I think a few more people know than you thought."

They walked out of the restaurant and into a full-fledged media circus. Bright lights were turned on as video cameras from all the major news outlets began to whir. Kim and Ron were immediately bombarded by questions from several reporters all at once.

"_Congratulations, Miss Possible? Did you say yes?_"

"_Mr. Stoppable, have you set a date?_"

"_Will Team Possible be renamed Team Stoppable? If so, what message will that be sending to the world?_"

Ron was overwhelmed. "Aw, who spilled? I wanted this to be a surprise!"

Kim looked embarrassed. "Uh, Ron, I have a little confession to make. I found out this afternoon when American Excess called home to verify your purchase at the jewelry store. Then Monique helped me find my dress, Wade tipped off the UPS guy that delivered it, and his police escort accidentally broadcast the news all over the neighborhood. I swore the Tweebs to secrecy, but I guess the cat was already SO way out of the bag. Sorry Ron, but I didn't want to spoil your surprise ..."

Ron just sighed as he shook his head in dismay. "That's okay, KP. Thanks for at least trying." He brightened up. "But I guess it was just too hard to keep this bon-diggety news a secret, a-yup-yup!"

Arm in arm, they confidently walked to Kim's car and drove off, waving happily at the excited crowd of reporters and well-wishers.

Back at the Stoppable residence, Mr. and Mrs. Dr. P had just arrived for the "official" announcement. The Tweebs had already discovered the breaking news on TV.

"Hey everybody! Kim and Ron are on the news!"

Everyone gathered around the TV set and watched in rapt attention as the report began.

"Good evening, I'm Tricia Lipowski, and welcome to the Middleton Evening News. In our lead story, teen heroes Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable have again grabbed worldwide attention as they have just announced their engagement to be married. We now go live to Chez Couteaux in Middleton."

A young blond reporter appeared. "Thanks Tricia. I'm here outside the Chez Couteaux restaurant, where Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible have just left after fielding questions and congratulations on their engagement. Ever the heroes, they also managed to recapture escaped felon and former cat food heiress Camille Léon, who had been masquerading as the Canadian pop singer, April Levigne. But they certainly didn't allow _that_ to spoil their evening, as Ron proposed to Kim immediately after Camille's capture. No date has been set, but they did announce plans to attend college in London this fall. Back to you, Tricia."

Tricia Lipowski reappeared on the screen. "And in other news, astronomers at the Middleton Observatory have discovered that Pluto, having recently lost its planetary status, has exploded. Whether this is a natural occurrence or an event related to last week's alien invasion remains to be seen. We'll provide new updates as soon as they become available ..."

* * *

_Well, it's finally official, folks! But how much time will Team Possible have to enjoy their engagement before the the Lorwardians return and try to spoil their plans? And how successful will Kim be in convincing Shego to cut short her vacation, while Ron makes his latest trek to the Yamanouchi school for his final training? Update soon ..._


	9. The Die Is Cast

Kim and Ron pulled into the driveway, exhausted after all the excitement of the evening but otherwise quite happy at the evening's events. They were greeted by a likewise ecstatic Possible/Stoppable family. After many hugs, smiles and general congratulations (plus a few apologies from the Tweebs regarding Kim's dress), Kim's birthday cake was brought out.

The requisite off-key rendition of Happy Birthday was sung, after which Mrs. Dr. P said, "Make a wish, Kimmie. Or has it already come true?"

She smiled at her mother and replied, "All of them except one or two, Mom. And I imagine it wouldn't take a brain surgeon to guess what those wishes are." She closed her eyes and made her wish, blowing out the candles with one big breath.

"Kimmie, as your gift from me, I'd be honored if you'd wear my own wedding dress when your big day arrives. But if you decide to choose your own special dress, well, that's totally up to you. And I promise that it will be perfectly fine with me if you do, and that the price won't be any consideration." Mr. Dr. P looked as if he might object, but a quick stern look from her kept him quiet.

"Thanks, Mom! I haven't even _started_ to think about that yet, but it's nice to know I have a choice." She blushed slightly as she suddenly remembered that she had actually given it a quite a bit of thought over the years.

Next it was Ron's turn. "KP, I wanted to get you something really special." He laughed self-consciously. "Well, besides the ring, that is. It's not one of a kind, but it's close enough. And maybe it will help you get some closure after losing so much of your stuff last week. Oh, and by the way, I have to give credit for the idea to your dad."

Ron handed her a medium sized box. Her eyes widened in amazement as she tore the wrapping paper off of her gift. "Oh, wow! A Cuddle Buddy! Not only that, but it's a Super Star Edition Panderoo! They only made twelve of these! How in the world did you find one?"

"Well, I contacted the Cuddle Buddy manufacturers, but they said all of them had been sold years ago. They also doubted that anyone would want to part with theirs, since they're such a hot collector's item. So I had Wade track down the owners on the Cuddle Buddy website, and I managed to find one person willing to part with his."

All eyes were glued on Ron, as they waited with great interest for him to reveal the owner's identity.

"It was ... Martin Smarty! But it wasn't easy. He tried to make a deal with me first, and asked me if I could get him another date with, uh, Shego Wobackoff."

Kim's eyebrows shot up as her mouth fell wide open. "Shego? You're kidding! What did you tell him?"

"Well, _heh-heh_, I stretched the truth a little and told him that I thought she and Dr. Drakken were kinda dating at the moment, so he said never mind. But then he made me, um, another offer..." Ron's face took on an unmistakable look of embarrassment that revealed that as soon as he told Kim, she would _not_ be happy.

Kim folded her arms and frowned. "What _kind_ of offer, Ron?"

He self-consciously scratched the back of his neck as he replied, "Well, uh, Kim, you're now the new spokesperson for Smarty Mart's new line of extreme skateboards: _Artie Smarty Gear_."

As everyone laughed, Kim simply put her head in her hand and sighed. "Ron, how many times have I asked you not to volunteer me for things without checking with me first? But in this case ..."

Kim smiled warmly at her new fiancé as she squeezed her new Pandaroo.

* * *

By now it was quite late, and soon Mr. and Mrs. Dr. P bid everyone good night. Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable said good night as well, but not before the Tweebs convinced them to let them stay up for one more video game of _Space Passage: Revenge of the Corpulons_.

The evening was still warm, so Kim and Ron decided to hang out on the patio for a while longer before turning in. "Well, Kim, we both had a little more excitement tonight than we had planned for, _ah booyah_."

Kim was busy admiring her ring. "Yeah, but it all turned out _perfect_. Thanks Ron, for making this a really memorable evening." She gave him a gentle, lingering kiss.

Ron thought, "_Oh yes, this is nice ..._"

He smiled and asked, "So, uh, Kim, now that it's official, maybe we should talk about setting a date?"

Kim smiled back, saying, "There's nothing I'd like to do more, Ron, but do you really think we can? We don't know when the Lorwardians will be coming back, and the world will be counting on us for protection."

"My point exactly, Kim. We don't know when, or even if. It's not fair to us, _to you_, to delay our wedding day because of what some vengeful aliens might or might not do. Think, KP. If they never show up, we've delayed for nothing. If they were to show up tomorrow, then ... well, we're toast, but we won't be going down without a fight. But I _won't_ go down without knowing when I would have ..." Ron's voice quivered with emotion, "... married the most beautiful girl in the universe."

Kim simply melted deeper into Ron's arms. "Ron, that's the most tragically romantic thing you've ever said to me. But we're not going to lose. Not after they get a full barrage of your Mystical Monkey Power."

She looked deep into Ron's brown eyes: the eyes of her protector, best friend, boyfriend, and now fiancé. He returned Kim's gaze, losing himself in her beautiful green eyes. Their eyes began to close as they fell into another deep embrace, their kiss now more urgent than before.

Kim couldn't help but think, "_Oh, Ron, if we were married right now, I'd be enjoying a full course of your Ronshine right about now ..._"

A soft blue glow enveloped the young couple as they continued to enjoy the moment.

* * *

The next day was a busy one. Both Kim and Ron resigned from their respective jobs at Club Banana and Smarty Mart, apologizing for only giving one day's notice. Both were told that it really wasn't a problem considering the circumstances, and that they were welcome back at any time.

Ron turned to his pet naked mole rat, and began to tear up as he turned in his Smarty Mart vest.

"Well, Rufus, the end of another era ..."

Rufus gave a sad little sigh, but Mr. Barkin simply rolled his eyes and yelled, "Aw, for cripes sake, suck it up, Stoppable!" In a slightly less irritable tone, he continued, "Oh, and uh, good job pulverizing those aliens last week. My C.O. would have been proud." He gave Ron a quick salute.

Bonnie Rockwaller chanced to walk by at that moment, hunting for some school supplies she needed for her one-unit make-up class with Mr. Barkin.

Ron waved as she approached. "Hey, Bon-Bon. I guess you heard the good news?"

She heaved a humongous sigh and rolled her eyes as widely as she could. "Well, _duh_, like who could possibly miss it since it's all over TV and the Internet? Your MeTube video's gone viral and just passed 301 million hits!"

Then, just like Barkin had just done, she amped down her histrionics a bit, and an actual smile tried to escape from behind her mask of haughtiness.

"Well, I guess congratulations are in order, so, uh, congratulations. And I guess you two aren't such losers after all." Bonnie then smiled, giving Ron a quick peck on the cheek before rushing off to purchase her supplies.

* * *

Later that morning, Kim walked out of a high level meeting with Dr. Betty Director, General Sims, and her father, Dr. James Possible.

Dr. P was beaming. "You handled yourself very well in there, Kim. Everyone has full confidence in you as the new liaison between the Space Center, Global Justice and the military. And the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asking for you personally? That's my Kimmie-Cub!"

"Thanks Dad. I really appreciate your support. It's exciting to be involved in such an important project. But could I ask you for one teensy-weensy favor?"

"Sure, Kim. What is it?"

"Please don't call me 'Kimmie-Cub' in front of the top brass?"

Dr. P looked a little chagrined. "Sorry, Kim. It's just that I'm very proud of my little girl."

"And I'll always _be_ your little girl, Dad. You know that. But just think of how you'd feel if Mom called you by _your _pet name in front of your superiors."

Dr. P suddenly looked like he had swallowed a live worm. "Hmm. Point well taken, Kimmie."

They walked into the commissary where they were to meet Mrs. Dr. P and Ron for lunch. They were already there waiting and waved to them as they walked over to the table.

Ron asked excitedly, "So, how did it go, KP?"

"Just spankin', Ron! Everyone's on the same page and really working hard to meet the goals we've set just as soon as possible. And it helps that everyone is taking this threat seriously. The UN is saying that even countries with long-standing problems with each other are calling for a truce, considering what we're facing now."

Kim noticed her mother frown slightly at the mention of the United Nations. Concerned, Kim asked, "Mom, everything okay?"

Mrs. Dr. P quickly resumed her warm smile and answered, "It's nothing, Kimmie. Please, go on."

Kim did a quick wrap up of the rest of what they had discussed in the meeting and then announced what she had really brought them all together for.

"Mom, Dad: Ron and I have set a date for the wedding, but we wanted to get your approval first. Ron's birthday is right before we leave for college, and that gives us all several months to prepare for the Lorwardians as well as the wedding." She laughed as she realized what she had just implied. "And no, they're _not_ invited! I know it's not a lot of time, but we're both confident that we can make this work."

Mr. and Mrs. Dr. P looked surprised when they realized how soon the date was that they were suggesting.

Mr. Dr. P frowned. "That's only three months away, Kim. That really strikes me as too soon. With everything else going on, is this really the time to be planning for a wedding?"

Ron spoke up. "Mr. Dr. P, I realize that you think this is way too soon, especially considering the Lorwardians. But if we all started making our decisions based on fear, we'd be bon-diggety beaten before the race even began. I used to be afraid of spiders, bugs, losing my pants, and even monkeys. But I'm pretty much over that now. Well, the pants thing still gives me trouble once in a while, but I'm not really _afraid_ of it anymore. And that monkey thing actually turned out pretty well after all, don't you think?"

James nodded in agreement. "Yes, actually I do. Go on, Ronald." He continued listening while Anne just smiled.

"I'm stronger with Kim than without her, and Kim is stronger with me than without me, too. It's the story of our lives. And last week underscored that more than even Mr. Barkin could have done, using his big red pen to correct all the tons of extra homework he's assigned me through the years, and all because of that look he claimed that I gave him back in, um, what grade was that, Kim?"

Kim gently nudged Ron under the table with her foot.

"Uh, sorry, didn't mean to babble. What I mean to say is, we're stronger together than apart, and we'll be stronger as a married couple than just as simply engaged, no matter who or what we end up facing. We hope you'll both agree, but if you don't, we're ready to accept that also. Kim's real important to me, but you'll be my father-in-law and mother-in-law soon, and well, your feelings are important to me too."

Kim and Ron anxiously waited for their answer.

James thought for a moment and then asked, "Could Anne and I talk this over for a few minutes?"

Kim said, "Sure thing, Dad. We'll be right over there." Kim and Ron got up and walked over to another table to await their decision.

James shook his head and asked, "Well dear, what do you think?"

Anne's face was the epitome of warmth. "Well, honey, they've both thought this through fairly well, and their reasons are good. And they don't seem to be in a hurry just for, well ..." What her grin implied immediately made James feel a little uncomfortable.

"Uh, yes, dear, I realize that. But it's still only three months. And there's so much else to prepare for."

Anne nodded. "Yes, there is. But we did it in _two_ months, plus graduated from college and found jobs as well." Anne smiled slyly. "And if I remember, you wanted us to get married just _one_ month after you proposed ..."

James knew when he was beaten. "Okay, then. But do you think that you and Kim can handle most of the wedding details? I'm swamped with all the technical analysis of that Lorwardian spacecraft right now, plus trying to reverse engineer their weapons and interstellar propulsion units."

Anne nodded again. "Of course, dear. That's what mothers and brain surgeons are for." Her slightly sarcastic tone was compensated for by a small kiss on his cheek.

The smiles that met Kim and Ron as they walked back to the table revealed exactly the answer that they had been hoping for.

The countdown had begun.

* * *

Now with many important details set, it was once again time for Ron to return to Yamanouchi, while Kim's mission was to convince Shego to return and help Drakken prepare the world's defenses.

Wade had arranged for Ron to fly on a C-5A Galaxy transport that was headed for Japan. Kim would be hopping a Global Justice jet to a resort in Athens, where Shego had just been located.

Ron parachuted out the cargo plane, confident that he would not be losing his pants this time. For today, he had decided to wear a one-piece jumpsuit. He figured that it wouldn't be very fitting for the world-saving victor over the Lorwardians to be dropping his drawers as he parachuted into Yamanouchi.

What he had failed to remember however, was that it's always a good idea to securely fasten your belongings in your backpack _before_ jumping out of the plane. Just before Ron pulled his ripcord, his knapsack began dispensing its contents over the beautiful skies of Japan, and his clothing began gently floating down toward the secret ninja school. As he landed, a pair of his pants drifted into the branches of one of the many cherry trees that dotted the courtyard. An errant pair of his Wonder Weasel boxer shorts also wafted down, enveloping Rufus as he landed. Rufus angrily chittered away as a light tinkle of laughter met Ron's ears.

"Oh, Stoppable-san. I never tire of you and your American-style entrances."

"Yori! How's my favorite Ninja girl?" He looked up in the tree where his pants had landed. "Uh, hey, sorry about that. Got to remember to tie my backpack better next time."

Yori giggled lightly. "This is of course not a problem, Stoppable-san. As Kim would say, 'No big.' Please, come, Sensei is anxious to see you."

A small crowd had gathered, whispering quietly as they realized that Ron Stoppable, the Mystical Monkey Master, had returned. Ron was met by looks of deferential honor, and each of the school's students stopped and bowed deeply as he and Yori walked by.

Ron was getting a little uncomfortable with all the attention. "Uh, Yori, what's with all the fawning and bowing and stuff?"

"Stoppable-san, you have become world-hero in your victory over Warmonga and Warhok. You are held in much honor here, even more than when you recovered the Lotus Blade."

"Well, Yori, it's totally badical that you've all rolled out the red carpet for me, but I'm not quite a complete Monkey Master yet. In fact, that's why I'm back here, to complete my training."

"Of course, Stoppable-san, but that does not minimize your heroic deeds, or those of Kim-chan. You both are now legends, and it is now our honor to assist you in any way possible."

Legends. Kim. Fiancee. Ron would have to spill, and soon, if Yori didn't know already.

Sensei met them at the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Ron Stoppable, Yamanouchi welcomes you. You honor us with your presence. Come, there is much to discuss."

Ron entered the hall with Sensei, as Yori turned away to attend to her other duties.

"Stoppable-san, you have learned much in your recent battle with Warmonga and Warhok. Now you must develop the concentration necessary to consciously activate and control it."

"Yeah, thanks, Sensei. The other day, my power just activated itself, and I was afraid I would hurt Kim. That really scared me."

"That is not quite true, Stoppable-san. I have been in contact with your friend, Wade, and have reviewed his tape." Sensei smiled. "He is a most interesting person, especially with his apparent ability to record your every moment."

"Uh, Sensei, he isn't taping the times when me and Kim are, um, kissing or anything, is he? I know he's peeked at Kim's diary occasionally, but that just strikes me as wrongsick."

Sensei laughed warmly. "No, Stoppable-san. He has not become ... how do you say, a Peeping Tom. He is a person of honor, with your best interests at heart as well as Kim-chan's at the core of his motivations."

"Well _that's_ a relief. So, when do we start?"

"It has already begun, young Stoppable-san. As you become ready for the next step on your journey, we will continue."

"So, the speed of my progress is up to me? Ooh, I'm not sure how much I like the sound of that. Especially since ..."

"Since you and Kim-chan are to be wed soon?"

Ron was stunned. "Oh, man! Does the entire _world_ know the details of everything Kim and I do?"

Sensei lifted a hand to gently quiet him. "Be calm, Stoppable-san. I have a subscription to _Humans Magazine_ as well, booyah."

Sensei resumed his serious tone. "First you must learn that there is a delicate balance that must be struck between self-confidence and overconfidence, and to take both adulation and rejection in stride. Equilibrium must be maintained no matter what external forces may influence you."

Ron thought of Kim, and of the world that might need them again. A wicked smile appeared on his face, as he steeled himself for the challenge. "Okay, Sensei. Bring it on ..."

* * *

The remainder of the day continued for Ron as it started, with the students at Yamanouchi maintaining an abject, deferential attitude toward him, with much servile bowing and obsequious attention. Ron took it all in stride, remembering all too well how his swelled pride had nearly resulted in disaster only the week before.

The next day dawned bright and warm. But the attitude today of the students at Yamanouchi was anything but warm, compared to the day before. Ron wasn't able to coax even a smile or acknowledgement from anyone, let alone the honor and attention he had received the day before. Even Yori was distant.

"Whoa, Rufus! Did I forget to wear my deodorant today or what? This is just too weird. Not only that, but Sensei is too busy to even see me or explain what's going on."

Rufus shrugged in dismay, also perplexed by the great change in everyone's attitude.

Then Ron remembered Sensei's words, that he must take both adulation and rejection in stride. He decided that he would remain patient and polite, no matter which way the wind might be blowing regarding the attitudes of Yamanouchi's students.

* * *

Yori was troubled. This in itself was unusual for her, but when it involved Ron, she felt she needed the wisest counsel available.

"Honorable Master Sensei, may I have a word with you?"

"_Honorable_ Master Sensei? Such a formal honorific for you to be using, Yori. But of course, please be seated."

Sensei slowly poured them both some tea.

"And what concerns you today? Perhaps it is the way that we are treating Stoppable-san at the moment?"

"Yes, Master Sensei. I am ... uncomfortable in maintaining this attitude. I feel that it does not accord to him the honor to which he is due. Nor does it harmonize with my own sense of honor."

Sensei's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.

"Yori, much will depend on Stoppable-san's complete control of the Mystical Monkey Power. Much more than even _you _realize at this time. And with much power comes much responsibility, as well as great temptation. Stoppable-san must gain full control of all his abilities if he is to succeed. If not, it is conceivable that he could not only fail, but even become an agent of evil, as Monkey Fist and Fukushima became."

"That is impossible, Sensei!" Yori quickly stood up, uncharacteristic anger roiling up from within her. "Ron would never give in to the seduction of power! You dishonor him by ..."

"_Yori!_ Do not forget your place." Sensei's command, tinged with anger in response to her outburst, cut her to the quick.

Yori stood there, mouth agape, embarrassed by her loss of control.

"My apologies, Master Sensei." She calmly sat back down.

Sensei sighed as he regained his own sense of emotional equilibrium. "Yori, I truly sense your concern for young Stoppable-san. And I also sense that your feelings for him, buried for so long, are still quite strong to have such a reaction to what you feel is unfair treatment. Perhaps those feelings have been heightened by the recent announcement of the engagement between Stoppable-san and Kim-chan."

Yori's now calm exterior belied her deeper feelings as she realized the truth contained in Sensei's words. It was one thing to be able to dispassionately accept Kim as Ron's destiny, but quite another when faced with its reality.

"Yori, you are my best and most trusted student here. But you are also that rare individual that can now either greatly assist him, or undermine him completely."

Sensei continued in a tone more serious than she had ever heard from him before. "If you are to aid in his training, I will need you to maintain the self-control and discipline that you have so excelled at through your many years here at Yamanouchi. This world, and many others, may very well depend on it."

Yori was deeply humbled by his statement. She felt remorse at her outburst, and surprise at how easily Sensei had read her feelings, as well as fear over this new revelation on how critical a part she would play in Ron's training. She immediately began to center herself, gaining back her own emotional control as she calmed her mind and spirit.

"Yes, Master Sensei. Please forgive my reaching conclusions not based on all facts. It would be my great honor to assist in Stoppable-san's training."

She rose and bowed deeply to Sensei. Without a further word, she turned and left.

As she walked back into the courtyard, the late afternoon sun shone on the newly blossoming cherry trees. It had been a very cold winter and a cool spring, and it was unusual for them to be blooming so late. But with Stoppable-san's arrival, the weather had changed, and the warm early summer sun had coaxed the blooms to life. It had also coaxed to life memories, long dormant.

Ron spotted Yori as she entered the courtyard. He smiled as he walked up to her. "Hey, Yori. How are you doin' today?"

The smallest of smiles escaped her lips as she bowed ever so slightly. Without a word, she slowly turned and left toward her quarters. Ron didn't notice the small tear that had formed in the corner of her eye.

"Whoa. I guess I'll never figure these people out, Rufus. But I hoped that at least Yori would talk to me. I guess I just have to learn not to take any of it personally."

Rufus thought to himself, "_It's all part of our training, my friend. And I hope we'll both be ready before time runs out ..._"

* * *

_Well, the date is set! And everything else seems to be proceeding according to plan. But appearances can be deceiving ... And will Yori's years of training be enough to overcome her wistfulness over Kim and Ron's engagement? And how will Kim respond to the bombshell that Shego is about to drop on her? Update soon. _


	10. A Green Bolt From The Blue

_Many thanks to all who have reviewed so far, and for your questions and suggestions. And to make official what I've been doing pretty much recently, leave a review and get a reply. _

* * *

The dark-haired man appeared in the doorway of her hotel room. Her one true love had sought her out, and against all odds, had finally found her.

He began, "I've missed you terribly. I was a fool to let you go."

She noticed his rippling muscles beneath his flowing, open shirt. She smoothly arose from her chair, her green robe clinging to her supple form. Languorous feelings, long forgotten, began to take control of her.

"I've missed you too. I thought that I would never see you again. But I've had time to think things over. And I've finally decided: I never want to leave you again."

She embraced him, kissing him passionately. His ardor ever increasing, she surrendered to him in ecstasy as she felt his swelling manhood pressing against her blossoming ...

_FWOOOSH!_

The romance novel Shego had been reading disappeared in a burst of green flame.

"For crying out loud, who actually reads this trash anyway?"

Shego sighed as she began sipping the green-hued drink the waiter had just brought her. She let out a sigh of satisfaction as she realized that even in Greece, they knew how to make an excellent mint julep. As the warm morning sun reflected off of the swimming pool, she relaxed deeper into her lounge chair, thankful that the resort hadn't been touched by the alien attack.

She was even happier that Midas had been able to clear his schedule that morning, just for her. Her body was still basking in the wonderful afterglow of that deep tissue massage. Yup, he still had that golden touch. She had just started to drift off, thinking that there was nothing that could spoil such a perfect day, when an all too familiar redhead began walking up to her.

_Oh, no,_ _here we go again ..._

Not even bothering to move, Shego moaned, "Princess, can't you just leave me in peace? This is getting to be _such_ an annoying habit with you."

Kim's tone was only slightly apologetic. "Sorry to interrupt your vacation, Shego, but there's something very important we need to discuss. It'll only take a few minutes, and then I'll be gone."

_Uh oh. I wonder if she knows._ Shego let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, Cupcake, make it quick. So, how did you find out?"

Kim was perplexed by the question. "Uh, find out what, Shego?"

Shego realized that Kim had no inkling of what she was referring to. And Shego had made a promise that she would be the one to tell Kim first. But not quite yet ... "Uh, nothing. So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

Kim frowned. "Shego, Warmonga is probably still alive, and we're pretty sure she's heading back to Lorwardia."

Shego bolted upright. "You're kidding, right?" She took off her sunglasses and stared at Kim for a moment, hoping that the teen heroine was just pulling her leg or playing some kind of practical joke. One look at Kim's face told her that this was no joke. A terse expletive escaped her lips.

Shego narrowed her eyes. "How sure are you?"

"Very. Wade reviewed the tape. Warmonga's ship can be seen beating a hasty retreat just before the mothership crashed."

"Well, you really know how to spoil someone's day, don't you, Kimmie? So, you think she'll be back again? Like they say, third time's a charm."

"Yeah, well, we figure that's the most likely sitch."

"And let me guess, you want my help."

Kim answered, this time almost pleading, and without any trace of animosity. "Yes, Shego, I do. We really need your help. All of us."

Shego's voice softened ever so slightly. "Have you talked this over with Dr. D yet?"

"Yes. He wants to help, but said that you were on vacation, and didn't know when you'd be coming back."

Shego hesitated as she tried to weigh all of her choices in light of this new information. After a moment, she just sighed as her shoulders slumped slightly.

"Well, Kimmie, thanks for the warning, but as much as I'd like to help, I'm going to have to pass for the moment. I already have a lot on my mind right now. I'm trying to get _away_ from Dr. D for awhile so that I'll have some time to, well, think some things over. This has been a real weird week for me, going from super badass villainess to world hero in just one day. This whole ... _sitch_ is going to take some time for me to process. And I can't do that very well _if no one will leave me alone!"_ She lit one hand to emphasize the point.

Ever unflappable, Kim didn't even blink as she continued. "But Shego, as weird as this may sound, the world needs Drakken, and, well, Drakken needs ... you."

Shego's face became a mask of control, but Kim could sense the inner turmoil buried deep within.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she slowly responded, "And what exactly do you mean by _that_, Princess?"

Kim realized that what she had just said could be taken two very different ways, and that she had meant both of them. But the world was hanging in the balance, and could very well depend on how Shego decided to resolve whatever inner conflicts she was trying to deal with. She'd have to tread lightly and choose her words a little more carefully.

Kim tried a slightly different tack. "You're still under contract with Drakken, aren't you?"

Shego grimaced. "Technically, yes. But that was when we were both into the whole take-over-the world thing. We just _saved_ it last week, if you remember. Ya have any idea how that's gone over in the world of villainy? How can either of us even show our face at HenchCo, or have any dealings with our old cronies? We're a laughingstock, Kimmie, caught right between two worlds, neither of which really trusts us now. Isn't that right, Little Miss Priss?"

Kim's mouth just hung open as she tried to think of a reply to that statement. But she silently realized that Shego had made a good point. And Shego knew it.

"Kim, think for a minute. How would you feel if you suddenly turned evil, and friendships you had developed over the years were suddenly gone? How would you feel if everything you had ever been, your goals, your very identity, had suddenly been forced into making a 180 degree turn? And on top of that, I'm trying to deal with Drakken's flirty vines. They really started to irritate me, especially knowing how ..."

She stopped mid-sentence. Kim carefully tried to get her to continue.

"How what, Shego?"

Shego sneered, "How he feels about me. I know he has a crush, and I'm definitely not comfortable with that ... yet." Shego looked down. "I don't know if I'll ever be."

Kim decided to venture a little farther out onto thin ice.

"But it sounds like you might just have a few feelings too?"

If Shego could have flared Kim into a nova, she would have at that moment. She began to speak intensely and with great precision, with malevolence infusing each and every word.

"Kim, you get one, repeat, _one_ warning. _Do ... not ... go ... there_."

Kim realized that she didn't dare pursue that line of conversation any further right now. But then she was struck with another idea.

"No problem, Shego, but it's ironic that it was actually you and Drakken that were responsible for getting me and Ron together. That was right after the Lil' Diablo sitch, if you remember." A sly grin appeared on her face. "Well, I just think that you should know ..."

Kim lifted her hand, now adorned with her engagement ring. It sparkled brilliantly in the morning sunlight.

Shego's eyes widened as an undecipherable look passed over her face. A sudden chill seemed to descend upon the surrounding patio, and a few moments of complete silence went by before Shego responded to Kim's revelation.

The chill quickly passed, and Shego relaxed as she casually put her sunglasses back on. She smirked, "Congratulations. You two deserve each other. So, am I invited to the wedding?"

Kim laughed sardonically. "Sorry, but it's going to be a small wedding. Relatives and close friends only."

Shego shot her a sideways look as she sarcastically responded, "Oh, is that so? Helping you save the world doesn't count?"

Kim didn't know how to respond to that.

Shego waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind, Cupcake. Good luck to you both. And I mean it. Now if you don't mind ..."

Kim decided to make one last effort to get through to her.

"Shego, we're talking about the fate of the world here, and like it or not, you're involved. You can either really help or really hurt. I just want to get you back together with Drakken, and only as his assistant by the way, nothing more. It's not like I'm trying to get you to rejoin Team Go."

"Oh, _puhleeze_ don't bring up my brothers."

"Well, why not? You were one of the good guys once, Shego. And you could be again."

Shego shot her a very dirty look, and Kim immediately thought better of having made that statement. "Well, _heh-heh_, at least neutral? And despite your feelings for them, they're still family, aren't they?"

As soon as Kim asked that question, something seemed to snap inside Shego. A look came over her face unlike anything Kim had seen before.

"Kim, we need to talk."

_Whoa_, Kim thought_. SO not the response I was expecting._

"This may take awhile. Hungry? Let's order lunch, my treat."

A now very perplexed Kim followed Shego into the resort's restaurant, which was nearly empty as it was still only mid-morning. The waiter seated them. Shego ordered salads for them both. Kim nodded in approval.

Shego began, "Kim, have you ever wondered why I left Team Go?"

She thought for a minute. "Well, yeah. I always thought it had to do with what Hego said once, something about you being a cranky smart mouth and prone to excessive violence. And that the more you fought evil, the more you liked it. The evil part, that is."

Shego smiled. "Yeah, well that's his side of the story, and he's entitled to his opinion. And he's right, up to a certain point. But there's more to it than just that. Let's just start by saying that if you looked up the word 'dysfunctional' in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Team Go right there."

Kim commented, "Well, yeah, me and my brothers have issues too, so no big."

Shego shook her head. "Ah, Kimmie. In spite of your world-saving skills, you're still so young and naïve."

Kim bristled at the put-down. Shego simply raised a hand. "Just calm down, Princess. I'm not trying to insult you, just hear me out."

"Sorry, Shego. I get that way sometimes."

"Yeah, I've noticed. Me too."

The waiter brought them their salads as Shego continued.

"It's really not all that hard to figure out. I just got really tired of my brother's egos and their constant bickering. Not only that, but the way they fought crime wasn't really all that much different from the villains they were trying to defeat. I finally got so frustrated with the whole mess that I decided to leave it all behind. So I left Team Go, and hired myself out as a mercenary. It turned out to be real profitable, and it was exciting for me, at least at first. But as time went by, I found that more and more people were afraid of me and my plasma abilities than were willing to hire me, even as a mercenary. Then when I got stiffed for a particularly dangerous job, I lost my temper and took it out on the men who had hired me."

Kim gasped.

"Don't worry, Kimmie, I didn't kill them. But I roughed them up pretty well, and then accidentally burned their place down." She snickered, "Well, maybe accidentally on purpose ..."

She sighed. "But after that, for some _strange_ reason no one wanted to hire me. Still, I didn't turn completely to evil quite yet. I tried to put it all behind me, swore off using my powers, and went back to finish college. Yes, I really _do_ have a degree in child development, and a teaching credential as well. I figured I needed to do something as far removed from my mercenary work as possible, and maybe even learn a thing or two about myself in the process."

Her shoulders slumped slightly as she took another bite of her salad. "I had just finished student teaching my first semester at Go City Middle School when my past caught up with me. The jerks whose place I had torched came looking for me. Since they didn't find me at home, they decided to return the favor by burning _my_ house down. What they didn't know was my mother was sleeping upstairs. I came back home that day to find smoldering embers where my house used to be, and a dead parent."

Kim looked stricken. "Shego ... I'm so sorry ..."

Shego shrugged off Kim's concern. "I don't need your pity, Kimmie, and that's not why I'm telling you all this. There's a point, and just thought you should know a little background first."

She took a deep breath as she continued. "Anyway, they were caught right away and thrown into prison for arson and manslaughter. I didn't have time to take my own revenge on the bastards, which is just as well, or else I _would_ be serving time for murder. I was mad at them, mad at the world, and mad at the stupid comet that had cursed me and my brothers with powers that had brought nothing but trouble. And _that's_ when I snapped."

Shego looked Kim right in the eye, and spoke with an intensity unusual even for her. "If the universe had given me powers, I was now sure as hell going to use them, and for my own benefit, thank you very much. The universe owed me for what had happened and for what I had tried to do right. I _enjoyed _giving in to evil. _And it felt good. _It was a wonderful release for me, and it ended up being extremely lucrative as well. Despite what they say, crime does pay, Kimmie."

Shego smiled sardonically. "Well, as long as you don't get caught that is, which unfortunately due to you, began happening quite a lot. But in spite of you being such a pain in the neck, I could never quite bring myself to give you that final _coup de grace_. Something inside always prevented me, and I always seemed to leave you with a way out. And now I know why."

She hesitated, letting out a long sigh. "You just don't do that to family."

Shego leaned forward. "Kim, we're cousins."

At no other time in her life had Kim been so suddenly shocked and horrified. It was like Luke Skywalker finding out that Darth Vader was his father. She turned away from Shego with a look of disgust, momentarily speechless. She immediately felt like she had been set up by Shego's tearjerker of a story in order to gain some kind of emotional advantage over her. She angrily turned back to Shego.

"Liar! No way in heaven or hell are we related, Shego! What kind of sick trick are you trying to pull this time?"

Shego had seen Kim angry before, but there was a burning fury in her voice that caused Shego to back off as she raised her hands.

"Whoa, Kimmie. I know what you must think, but it's true, and I can prove it. Just check with your computer geek. Ask him to review the background check UN security just did on me, and cross reference my relatives with yours."

Without a moment's hesitation she contacted Wade, who immediately appeared on her Kimmunicator.

"Hey Kim! How's Greece?" The look she gave him could have stripped the paint right off of her car. "Uh, not good I take it. What's up?"

"Wade, I need you to access the background check that the UN just did on Shego. Cross-reference her relatives with mine, and tell me if there's any correlation."

"Uh, sure Kim." Wade suddenly looked very nervous as his fingers flew across the keyboard. A few anxious seconds later, Wade's eyes looked as if they would pop right out of his head. "Whoa! Uh, Kim, are you sitting down? Shego's ... _your cousin_."

Kim's face became as white as a sheet. "Oh, I think I'm going to be sick ..."

Wade hesitated before continuing. "Shego's the daughter of your mom's sister. The records say her mom is deceased. Some kind of house fire." Wade tried to smile. "But if it's any consolation, this makes Team Go your cousins as well!"

Shego sneered, "Hey! I'm right here, Nerdlinger!"

"Oops, sorry Shego. Didn't see you there." Wade was suddenly thankful that Shego was at least six thousand miles away at the moment, but had a scary thought as he wondered what the actual range of her plasma was.

Kim mumbled, "Thanks Wade, I'll be in touch." With her heart racing, she cut the connection.

Shego continued in a more conciliatory tone. "Kim, I found out the same way that Wade just did. And, I talked with your mom a few days ago. She wanted to tell you first, but I convinced her that I should, just as soon as I got back. And well, here you are."

Still breathing heavily, Kim tried to calm herself down. _Is this possible? But how?_ She tried to think back to when she was very young, then started to remember. Her mom _did_ have a sister, but she had died when Kim was in grade school, and they had never met. And Mom always _had _been quiet about that side of her family.

"Kimmie, believe me, I wasn't thrilled to find this out either. But it's the truth. Now you see why I needed some major R&R? With our little problem with the Lorwardians, plus ..." She rolled her eyes. "_... Drakken_, I'm surprised I didn't steal a flying saucer from Area 51 and head for Alpha Centauri."

Slowly it began to sink in. Kim's anger and disbelief began to fade as she tried to come to terms with the news. "Well, I've heard of black sheep in people's families, but I never expected the color to be black _and_ green." Kim ventured a wan smile. "But it does kind of explain how evenly matched we've been during our frequent battles. And possibly, an occasional mutual attraction to a certain blond sidekick?" Kim twired the ring on her finger with her other hand as she smiled dangerously at Shego.

Shego lifted one hand in mock surrender. "Whoa, Kim. I was just jerking your chain. He's all yours."

With a sigh of resignation, Kim continued, "So, _cousin_, where does this leave us now?"

Shego shrugged as she shook her head. "I don't know, Kim. I only know that I can't come back right now. I can hardly think straight, let alone help Drakken with his plant mutagen while at the same time try to escape his tendrils." _Which have already begun to entwine my heart ..._

Kim looked down at her plate and twired a leaf of spinich absentmindedly as she became lost deep in thought. "Shego, do you remember when Electronique hit you with that Moodulator, and you turned good?"

She grimaced as she rolled her eyes. "How could I forget?"

"Well, that felt really good having you as a friend. And we had a great couple of days together. Now, that's possible again. And last week, you and I, Ron and Drakken worked together and did something that none of us by ourselves could have done on our own. We saved the whole planet. Now we may need to do that again, and we _can_ do it again, especially if you're really my cousin. Please?"

Kim then hit Shego with her best shot: the infamous Puppy-Dog Pout.

Shego threw up her hands. "Arghh! I _hate_ it when you do that!"

Shego looked down as she seriously tried to reconsider, but just shook her head. "No, Kimmie, not yet. It's still too soon for me. But that could change. As you say, anything's possible, especially for a Possible. And that might apply to her cousin, too. Am I right?"

A trace of a smile came over her face as she reached over to squeeze Kim's hand.

"I know how to reach you, Kim, and here's my number so you can reach me if you need to. Oh, and I know I must be the _last _person in the world you'd be willing to do a favor for, but can we keep this to ourselves for the moment? When this becomes common knowledge, I can imagine that it will get a little messy for both of us."

"Sure, Shego. But I think I should at least tell my parents that I know, and probably Ron too."

Shego nodded. "And Kim, just a FYI? Your mom didn't know until I told her last week. But judging by her reaction, I think she may have had her suspicions."

"Yeah, she's sharp all right."

"Yup, just like her daughter."

Kim began to blush at the unexpected compliment. As she stood up, Kim observed, "Shego, I'm sure you realize that this is really going to take some getting used to, for both of us. But I have a pretty good feeling it'll all work out somehow. As long as the world doesn't blow up in our faces in the meantime, that is. So please, keep in touch?"

Shego nodded as Kim got up from the table, and turned to leave. As Kim walked away, her anger spent and the shock of this unexpected revelation now fading, she tried to get a grip on her own feelings. She now felt ... what? Although she felt bad for Shego's loss, she really didn't feel sorry for Shego _per se_, feeling that she had ultimately made some bad choices following her mother's death, no matter how well everything had recently turned out. But Kim did feel that she had gained a new degree of understanding and insight into Shego's personality. Complete acceptance would still have to wait, but she was confident that it too would come with time. Hopefully they would have the time, but that remained to be seen.

"Wow. Could this sitch get any weirder?"

She knew better than to tempt fate with a question like that, as fate always has an unusual sense of ironic humor regarding comments of that sort. But the question had been posed, and it would be answered in due course.

Kim remained lost in her thoughts as she awaited the Global Justice plane that would take her home.

* * *

_Well, this unexpected discovery certainly throws things into a different light. How quickly will they each be able to come to terms with this new revelation? Even more importantly, how will friends and family respond to this once they find out? Update soon._


	11. Yamanouchi

The third day dawned bright and warm. As Ron and Rufus made their way to breakfast, he noticed that everyone was again smiling and acknowledging both of them, but not with the extreme deference and obsequiousness of the first day. The feeling was more like, 'You are a warrior hero, and one of us now. We honor your presence among us.'

Sensei warmly greeted them both as they walked across the courtyard.

"Good morning Stoppable-san, and to you as well, Rufus-san. I congratulate you on having so quickly passed the first two tests of your final training: resisting the Temptation of Ego, and the Absence of Ego when that adulation is removed."

Ron suddenly realized what had really been going on. "Ohhh, I get it. Trying to give me a swelled head one day, and then withdrawing the kudos the next."

"Very good, young Stoppable-san. You have discovered that the reverse side _also_ has a reverse side."

Ron was confused by Sensei's statement. "Uh, that's a great coin tip, Sensei, but how does that apply to me?"

Sensei continued, "Too much ego leads to overconfidence, and recklessness may follow. Too little, and self-confidence withers. And with it, your control of the Mystical Monkey Power."

Ron immediately remembered those times when his big-headiness had nearly ruined both his relationship with Kim as well as his missions with her. He also recalled when his lack of self-confidence fueled his fear to the point of locking himself inside a steel-plated panic room, which had almost resulted in Kim's demise at the hands of Shego.

Ron took a deep breath. "Okay, Sensei. So what's next?"

"You must next become a master of your own focus and concentration. We will begin immediately after breakfast."

"Yeah, I know I can get absent-minded and forgetful, Sensei. Sometimes in the middle of a sentence, I just ..."

Ron noticed that a pair of his pants was still stuck in one of the cherry trees.

"Oh, man. That really tanks ..."

Sensei merely smiled and shook his head as they continued to breakfast.

After their meal, Sensei led Ron to a small garden at the edge of the school. Surrounded by pine trees, a simple bench stood in the middle of the garden.

"Before we begin with exercises in focus and concentration, you must first learn to quiet your thoughts through a process known as emptying your mind. Intrusive thoughts can destroy your focus, so the clearer your mind, the greater your focus will be. Please close your eyes now, and let us begin."

Ron closed his eyes, but all he could think about was Kim and the events of the last few weeks: their graduation, their battle with the Lorwardians, and that argument with her followed by some unusual manifestations of his Mystical Monkey Power. Then his proposal to Kim, followed by much kissing. _Much_ kissing ...

A goofy smile had appeared on Ron's face. He again tried to clear his mind, but after attempting the exercise for a few more minutes, he finally gave up. He opened his eyes again, unable to empty his mind of his many wayward thoughts.

"Sensei, it's not working. My mind still seems to be focused on, uh, other things."

Sensei nodded in understanding.

"Although it is rare to be able to completely empty one's mind of thoughts, you must detach your mind from these thoughts and simply allow them to pass by. Do not actively think about them, but simply become an observer as you sit within a space of peace while your thoughts flow calmly past."

Ron frowned in frustration. "But how do I do that, Sensei?"

"Just think of the trees: they let the birds perch and fly, with no intention to call them when they come and no longing for their return when they fly away. If your mind can become as the trees, the process of emptying your mind will be hastened."

Ron closed his eyes, but all he could think of now was his errant pants caught in that cherry tree, defiantly taunting him as they flapped in the breeze.

Sensei heaved a deep sigh, unusual for a master with such experience in training. He thought, _This is going to take much longer than I had hoped ..._

Ron was suddenly struck by an idea. He concentrated for a few moments. On the other side of the ninja school, his errant pants suddenly ignited in a blue flash, their ashes swiftly carried away by the morning breeze.

Yori smiled as she noticed the bright flame from across the courtyard. "Ah, I see that Stoppable-san is using his Mystical Monkey Power in a humorous display of American-style inflammability ..."

* * *

As the Global Justice plane winged its way back to Middleton, Kim was lost deep in her thoughts.

_Shego. My cousin. She's neutral now, but what if she decides to turn back to evil? Now that we both know that we're related, would she take advantage of that if we should ever battle again in the future?_

Kim remembered when Shego had offered her help in fighting Avarius and his Flamingo of Doom. Shego simply hadn't wanted to lose to a giant flamingo, so Shego said she'd hit him high while Kim hit him low. They easily took the beast down together, but Shego's lust for power overcame their brief alliance as she grabbed Avarius' wand, and with it, all the powers of Team Go.

If Kim hadn't knocked the wand from her hand, where it fractured on the floor and returned Team Go's powers to their rightful owners, Shego might have been able to single-handedly take over the world. With ultimate power of that sort, Drakken might have ended up becoming _her_ henchman. Kim shivered at that chilling thought.

_No one should ever have that kind of power, no matter which side of the law they're on ..._

But on the other hand, Shego had helped out greatly in all their dealings with the Lorwardians. _Maybe she _is _changing, and just needs a little more time. But what will it really take?_

Kim had debated over who she should call first to tell of Shego's news: Ron or her mom. She decided on Ron since she could reach him directly via the Kimmunicator. She would talk to her mom face to face after she landed in Middleton, still many hours away. She pressed a button and Ron immediately appeared.

"Hey KP! Great to see you! What's up? Did you find Shego?"

Kim hesitated. "Well, yes, but ..."

"Uh, oh. I know that tone, KP. So what's the sitch?"

"Things have just got a lot more complicated, Ron. I just found out that Shego ... is my cousin."

Ron did a double-take. "Whoa Kim, something must be wrong with our connection. I thought I just heard you say that Shego's your _cousin_."

"You heard me right, Ron. Shego told me, and Wade confirmed it."

Ron's face began to take on a greenish cast. "Wow. This is _so_ beyond wrongsick, Kim. In fact, wrongsick doesn't even begin to cover it. This is ... well, _gorchysick_. And she actually _kissed _me?" Ron stuck out his tongue in disgust.

Kim snidely replied, "Yeah, and I'm not too happy about it either."

Ron recognized his faux-pas and made a quick apology. "Sorry, KP. So, uh, which side of the family?"

"From my mom's side. Shego's mom was my other aunt, the one who died when I was in grade school."

"Wow, this is all pretty heavy. Have you talked this over with your mom yet?"

"Not yet, but Shego says that she told her already. I'll talk with my mom after I land in a few hours. Oh, and please keep this under your hat for the moment? I'm not sure if the world is quite ready for this."

Kim thought to herself, _I'm not even sure if_ I'm _quite ready for this_ ...

"No problemo, KP. So, were you able to persuade Shego to come back and help Drakken?"

Kim sighed, "Not yet. She's still trying to come to terms with being a hero now, along with dealing with Drakken's feelings for her, and maybe even her own feelings for him. She even resisted my Puppy Dog Pout!"

"Whoa, Kim! Your secret weapon? Wow, that's some resistance she's got." Ron frowned. "So, I guess nothing's really changed yet, huh?"

"Yup, it looks like Drakken is still on his own for the moment. But enough of my problems." Kim smiled and asked, "So, how are things with you at Yamanouchi?"

"Pretty good, KP. But I'm having trouble with some of my mental exercises. One of them is trying to empty my mind, but when I close my eyes, all I can think of is you."

Kim smiled even wider as she melted into her seat. "Oh, Ron, that's so sweet, but don't let me get in the way of your training, OK? Remember, the sooner you're done there, the sooner we'll be back together."

Kim was thankful that she was still uppermost in his thoughts. _Well, at least he's not thinking about Yori ..._

"Booyah! That's a bon-diggety encouragement if I ever heard one, KP! Well, my next session with Sensei is in a few minutes, so I better sign off." He hesitated just a moment longer. "I miss you, Kim."

"I miss you too, my BFF. And that now stands for _Best Friend Fiancé_." Kim then tried to sound nonchalant as she asked, "Oh, and how did Yori take the engagement news?"

Ron replied, "Well, I actually haven't had a chance to talk with her much, Kim, just briefly when I first arrived. But if Sensei knows, I'm pretty sure she knows too. But I'll make sure just as soon as I get the chance."

Kim was relieved by Ron's matter-of-fact demeanor, which revealed more than just the actual words he had spoken. "Thanks, Ron. And good luck with your exercises. I'll check in with you again tomorrow."

Kim clicked off her Kimmunicator, silently chiding herself on her small case of jelling over Yori. She knew now that she really could trust both of them, but right then she had just needed a little extra boost to her self-confidence, especially after Shego's bombshell. She continued to look out of the window as the jet swiftly sped above the clouds blanketing the ground far below. She wished that her own clouds would part and reveal what lay ahead for them all.

* * *

Ron's evening session with Sensei had not gone well, now that he had the additional distraction of Shego's revelation to Kim.

"Stoppable-san, perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. I sense great distraction and uneasiness within you, even more so than earlier. Is something specific causing your disquiet?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that, Sensei. But I made a promise that I'd keep it to myself, just like when I promised not to reveal what took place during my first visit here."

"I understand. You are a man of honor, and I will not press you for the reason for your distress. However, you must overcome this obstacle before we may continue. Remember that the obstacle is the path."

"Ooh, that's so Zen, Sensei." Ron tried to understand what the saying meant, but was still baffled. "So, um, what does that mean, exactly?"

"Knock on the sky and listen to the sound, Stoppable-san."

"Uh, sorry, but now you've lost me completely."

Rufus was by now also scratching his head, and shrugged at Ron with a quizzical look on his face.

Sensei smiled. "Yes, but now you are also distracted from what was troubling you."

The light bulb came on in Ron's head. "Oh, I get it. By getting me to focus on something else, I momentarily forgot what was bothering me."

"Exactly. Therefore, your lesson for tonight is to study the history of the Mystical Monkey Masters. As you know, Yamanouchi was founded in the year 338 AD by the great warrior Toshimiru, the first Mystical Monkey Master. And many have followed in his footsteps, but not all with the same success. You may use the many resources available in our new computer lab."

Ron whined, "Oh, man, I thought I was _done_ with homework once I graduated!"

"Consider this simply as a reading assignment, Stoppable-san. No homework will be required of you. We will then continue with your mental training in the morning. And once this phase of your training is complete, I have asked Yori to take over your advanced training in the mental disciplines."

Ron seemed surprised. "Yori? Well, she's certainly a good friend and a cool ninja, but aren't you the master, Sensei? Besides, you know that Kim and I are engaged to be married soon. I'm, uh, just afraid of how well Yori will take it when I tell her, and how that might affect things if she becomes the lead on my training, if you know what I mean. Besides, I'm having enough trouble emptying my mind and keeping my focus as it is now."

Sensei considered this as he stroked his beard. "I see. Are you concerned that feelings perhaps may exist between you and Yori that may impede your training? Or are you more concerned over how Kim-chan would react to Yori's tutelage?"

Ron was astounded at Sensei's insight. "Wow, you sure don't pull any punches, do you Sensei?" Ron thought for a moment. "It's not that I don't trust myself, or especially Yori. I'd trust her with my life, just like I would with Kim. But Kim can get a little jealous sometimes, and I have to admit that's been my fault at times. I guess I just don't want to rock the boat, that's all."

Sensei nodded. "You have nothing to fear, Stoppable-san. You, Yori and Kim are youths of great honor and ability, and those abilities will soon be put to the ultimate test. You will all need to be fully prepared for the challenges that you will face. As for now, do not concern yourself with anything except your historical studies this evening. We will begin again tomorrow. Rest well, Stoppable-san."

"Thanks, Sensei, you too." Ron bowed slightly before leaving, not quite reassured by Sensei's prophetic words. He shook off his sense of uneasiness as he headed toward the computer lab.

* * *

Ron discovered that the computer lab was located right next to the school's library. Ron simply shook his head at how modern the facilities appeared. "Wow, Rufus. Who would have believed that a secret ancient ninja school would also have a high-tech computer lab?" Rufus chirruped in agreement.

Ron also noticed that the lab was currently occupied by only one person: Yori. She smiled warmly and bowed gracefully to Ron.

"Greetings, Stoppable-san. Sensei told me that I might be of assistance to you here."

"Thanks, Yori. And yeah, I could use your help. Sensei wants me to read up on all the Mystical Monkey Masters of the past. He thinks it will help me clear my mind by focusing on, uh, other things."

"Ah. Your mind is distracted, perhaps by recent events?"

"Yeah, you could say that. I've come back here to master my control over my powers, especially now that we know that Warmonga probably escaped back to her planet. I need to be fully prepared if and when she comes back, which will probably be with the entire Lorwardian armada."

Yori paid close attention to what Ron was saying. "Yes, their return would be very bad. But I believe in you, Stoppable-san. Together with Kim-chan, you will again defeat them. And I am pledged to help you in any way possible."

_Possible. Kim._ Ron knew she had to tell Yori, and felt that now was just as good a time as any. He took a deep breath. "Yori, I appreciate your confidence in me and Kim, but I need to tell you something. Kim and I, well, we've just become engaged to be married."

Yori was prepared for this news, and continued to look at Ron with her beautiful smile and calm demeanor, her outward reaction not much more than if he had just told her that he had just won the homecoming football game.

"That is wonderful news, Stoppable-san. I give you both my humblest congratulations and best wishes for your mutual prosperity."

"I, uh, hope that doesn't, um, won't bother you in, uh, any way ..."

Yori laughed lightly. "No, Stoppable-san. I am truly happy for you both. Sensei has taught that change is necessary part of life, and will lead to happiness, wisdom and growth. Kim is your destiny, and destiny, like change, must be welcomed."

Ron visibly relaxed. "That's great to hear, Yori. I love Kim very much, but I also wouldn't want anything to get in the way of our friendship. You'll always be special to me, Yori."

"Domo. As you will always be to me, Stoppable-san. We share a bond of honor which cannot be broken."

Yori again bowed slightly as she returned his smile with her own perfectly-controlled smile, her countenance exuding a deep sense of peace and balance. But her outward appearance belied a twinge of sadness deep within her heart. Yori knew that she would need to deal with this soon if she were to give Ron all the help that she knew he would soon need.

"Let us begin. Please sit at this station: I have enabled it to respond to requests in English."

Ron sat down in front of the computer.

Yori continued, "First, enter the information on which you seek."

Ron typed in the words, _Complete History of the Mystical Monkey Masters._

The computer processed the request for a few moments, then returned the message:

_Out of memory.  
We wish to hold the whole sky,  
but we never will._

Ron looked perplexed. "Huh? What does that mean?"

Yori beamed widely with understanding. "Ah! The computer has been programmed with haiku error message responses. Try a smaller request."

Ron typed in, _History of Toshimiru. _Another message appeared.

_The website you seek  
cannot be located, but  
endless others exist._

Ron frowned. "Hmm. Let's try this." He typed, _Biography of Toshimiru._

A biography immediately appeared for Toshimiru, the first Mystical Monkey Master.

"Ooh! Coolio!"

Yori giggled. "Ah, Stoppable-san. I never tire of your humorous American-style expressions."

"Okay, so how do I print this out?"

Yori simply smiled as she pointed toward the Print button.

"Oh. Uh, yeah." Ron pushed the button, but another message appeared.

_The Tao you seek  
will not be found until  
you add fresh toner._

Without a word, Yori arose and proceeded over to the supply cabinet for a replacement cartridge for the printer, while Ron continued with his research.

"Hmm. Let's see if the next Mystical Monkey Master is listed."

He scrolled through several pages until he reached the end of the entry. There, near the end, was the name of the next Mystical Monkey Master.

"Takahashi. Hmm, the one who built the first bridge to Yamanouchi. I guess that makes sense, since his name means _High Bridge._"

In the meantime, Yori had returned.

"Try printing again, Stoppable-san. The printer required rebooting after changing cartridge."

Ron pressed the print button again, but yet another pop-up message appeared.

_With searching comes loss  
and the presence of absence:  
'My Printout' not found._

He tried hitting the back button several times, but was again greeted by the now ubiquitous pop-up response.

_You step in the stream,  
but the water has moved on.  
This page is not here._

Ron was beginning to get a bit perturbed by the irritating messages. He tried retyping _Biography of Toshimiru_ and hit Enter. Several seconds went by with no response, when another pop-up appeared.

_Yesterday it worked.  
Today it is not working.  
Windows is like that._

Ron let out a sigh of frustration, wishing that the school's computer had been using a Mac operating system instead.

_Rather than a beep  
or a rude error message,  
these words: 'File Not Found.'_

Rufus tried to help by jumping on the Escape key, hoping that would clear it.

_Chaos reigns within.  
Reflect, repent, and reboot.  
Order shall return._

Growing increasingly frustrated, he hit Ctrl/Alt/Delete several times in the vain hope of rebooting the machine.

_Stay the patient course.  
Of little worth is your ire.  
The network is down._

Yori covered her mouth and tried to stifle a giggle, while Ron just shook his head. "Well, _that _would explain why nothing is coming up." Suddenly, a stream of gibberish scrolled across the screen. Then, the screen went totally blank.

_Windows Vista crashed.  
I am the Blue Screen of Death.  
No one hears your screams._

Ron grit his teeth and pounded the table in frustration. A wisp of smoke escaped from the back of the monitor as it became increasingly fuzzy.

_First snow, then silence.  
This thousand dollar screen  
dies so beautifully._

Tears began to stream down Yori's face as she broke out in a fit of laughter. After a few moments she regained her composure. "Please forgive me, Stoppable-san. Your humorous American-style annoyance has made my sides hurt."

Ron just smiled sheepishly as he replied, "Sorry about that, Yori. This is, uh, just a different system than I'm used to back home."

"That is all right, Stoppable-san. There are as you say, still a few bugs in the system? Let us try another computer station and hope for greater success ..."

_

* * *

_Yori was finally back to her usual self now that everyone was once again able to acknowledge Ron's presence at the school. She had also enjoyed helping him operate the school's new computer system. Together they had finally been successful in bringing up all of the requested historical information, once they had figured out all of its idiosyncrasies. But she also enjoyed simply spending time with Ron. There was a freshness to his humor and his informal attitude which she found such a pleasant contrast to most of the other students at Yamanouchi, who could be rather stuffy and overly serious at times.

All except one: Hirotaka. She had shared a close relationship with him in his final year at Yamanouchi until his graduation the year before. They had lost touch until several months ago, when she discovered that he had begun dating another graduate of Yamanouchi. It was a sad lesson for her in the transience of relationships, but one she had grown to accept. But with the announcement of Ron and Kim's engagement, the wound had been reopened.

In a moment of clarity, Yori realized that she had begun to envy the relationship that Kim and Ron shared. And these were the very thoughts and feelings that continued to trouble her.

She looked up at the horizon, where a full moon was beginning to set. The distant orb was reflected in one of the several garden pools about the school.

She recalled a saying from her youth about the interconnectedness of nature, and spoke it aloud. "One moon shows in every pool; in every pool, the one moon."

As she walked in the soft moonlight, Yori began to think about Ron, and her feelings for him. She wistfully recalled another saying that reflected those feelings. "The water flows, but back into the ocean; the moon sinks, but is even in Heaven."

Change. Change should be welcomed, but what of her own future? She wondered what her own destiny would be, then secretly began to wish for a change in the destiny of a certain couple's engagement. She shook that thought away just as quickly as she had thought it.

"This is not good. It will only serve as a distraction." A look of determination came over her face. "I share a bond of honor with Stoppable-san, and have great respect both for Kim-chan and the choice that they have made for each other. Sadly, I neither fully know my own place nor my destiny. But I must avoid dishonor above all else. If I am to help them both, I must seek an answer."

Yori quickly decided on a course of action and approached Sensei's quarters. In spite of how late it was getting, the lights were still glowing within. She knocked on the door.

"Master Sensei, please forgive the lateness of the hour, but may I have a brief word with you?"

Sensei opened the sliding door. "Of course, Yori. I've been expecting you. How may I be of help?"

Yori had long ceased to be amazed at Sensei's prescience, but it still fascinated her how he was so easily able to sense both the future and people's moods, especially of those close to him.

"Sensei, I am curious why you wish me to be involved with Stoppabale-san's advanced training in the mental disciplines. Would you not be the wiser choice, as you are the Sensei and have much greater knowledge and experience?"

"You ask a wise question, Yori. There are many reasons. You share both a deep friendship and a bond of honor with Stoppable-san. Your youth and similar age are also a factor, as well as your friendship with Kim-chan. There is of course much more that I may not reveal at this time. I simply ask you to trust my wisdom in this decision. With time, all things will become apparent to you."

"Thank you, Master Sensei. I am both honored and humbled by your trust in me. But I would make of you a special request: I ask your permission for a brief visit to the Iwashimizu Shrine in Kyoto. I should only be absent for at most one week."

A warm smile appeared on Sensei's face. "Ah. A pilgrimage to the shrine of warriors, Yori?"

"Yes, Sensei. I seek greater control over my feelings, which have become ... unsettled over the past few days. I wish to be fully prepared and capable to assist in Stoppable-san's training, once I am called to that honor."

Sensei nodded. "Iwashimizu is a wise choice. I am also thankful that it was not the Jishu Shrine you wished to visit."

Yori's eyes widened in surprise at Sensei's statement. She began to blush as she remembered that the Jishu Shrine is dedicated to love, and to the deity of matchmaking.

"No, Sensei. Jishu would not be ... appropriate." _Nor very helpful at present ..._

"Of course, Yori. I sense that a period of one week will be sufficient for your quest. This will also allow for me to spend additional time with young Stoppable-san's tutelage in the finer points of Tai Shing Pek Kwar."

"Thank you, Sensei." Yori bowed politely and turned to go.

As Yori left, Sensei called after her. "You are a woman of great honor, Yori. May you find the peace and balance that you seek."

Yori smiled as she left, her spirits both calmed and lifted by Sensei's blessing.

* * *

The next day, Ron's mental state was considerably improved over the day before. Within a few minutes of beginning his exercises, Sensei was smiling in approval.

"Very good, young Stoppable-san. I trust that you found your studies enlightening last evening, in spite of the various, shall we say, _technical_ difficulties that you experienced."

Ron smiled weakly. "Uh, yeah, Yori and I had to work out a few computer bugs, but we were finally able to get the system to work. Oh, and I'll pay for that monitor too, _heh-heh_ ..."

Sensei chuckled as he waved his hand. "Do not concern yourself about mere temporal things, Stoppable-san. More important is what you were able to glean from your reading. Can you summarize how the different Monkey Masters were either successful in their tasks, or failed to live up to their potential?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Well, those that were the most successful seemed to be the ones most pure of heart, and the ones motivated most by love, honor and duty, rather than for power, personal gain or revenge. Oh, and the ones who had the best focus and didn't allow themselves to become distracted, especially while traveling on the astral planes. So, uh, did Yamashira ever make it back from wherever he disappeared to?"

Sensei shook his head. "Unfortunately not. That is why these exercises are so important, my son."

Ron paled slightly at the thought.

"Fortunately, you are now ready to proceed to the next level, that of focus and concentration. One may sometimes lose focus and concentration because they become easily distracted by either internal or external influences. In order to address the problem with focus, you must first identify which factors most influence you."

Sensei fixed Ron with an impartial stare. "After careful observation, I have identified the three most pervasive influences throughout your life: negative thoughts, fear of failure and lack of self confidence."

Ron involuntarily gulped. Sensei's face softened as he continued.

"However, you have swept those aside with your victory over the Lorwardians. You succeeded in defending the Earth and protecting your beloved Kim-chan. Your heart remained pure, as well as your motivations. You were able to overcome these negative influences, and may now draw on that experience to more quickly summon and control your powers."

Ron smiled as he begun to relax, and looked down at his faithful pet mole rat. "No more _Potential Boy_, eh Rufus?"

"_Uh-huh, Uh-huh!_" Rufus cheerfully agreed.

Sensei pressed on. "First, begin by holding a specific object steadily in your mind's eye. That object should have some detail that you can imagine, but it also needs to be simple enough to envision it in your mind."

"Can it be anything, Sensei?"

"Choose something that you can easily picture, but requires you to focus in order to clearly see it. Call up a strong mental image of it, then try to keep your focus on it for several minutes without losing your focus. This will be difficult at first. Random thoughts and images will no doubt intrude, but do not let this hinder you, Stoppable-san. Pull your attention back to the object as often as necessary. As you continue to practice, you will notice that the power of your concentration will improve, as well as for longer periods of time. Please begin."

Ron closed his eyes as he tried to envision a Naco. He focused on its delicious crust wrapped around a scrumptious combination of lean ground beef, luscious tomatoes and perfectly shredded cheese, expertly drizzled with an entire packet of Bueno Nacho Hot Sauce, Extra Hot ...

Five minutes later, Sensei was astounded at Ron's first attempt at uninterrupted concentration. He was curious, however, at Ron's sudden tendency to drool.

* * *

The Global Justice plane made a perfect pinpoint vertical landing on the helipad of the Middleton Medical Center. As Kim debarked, Dr. Anne Possible was waiting for her. Kim looked at her mother, trying to control the many conflicting thoughts and feelings that were now rushing through her head.

"Hi, Mom. We need to talk."

* * *

_Well, it seems that Shego and Drakken aren't the only ones struggling with unresolved feelings. Will Yori succeed and live up to her name, which means 'Reliable' in English? And even if she does, what will be the cost? Next, it looks like Mrs. Dr. P will have some 'splainin to do to Kim ... _

_Also, apologies for such a long period between updates: a family illness needed to take priority. And as some of you know, I can be rather anal about research for my stories ... so please enjoy, read and review! Update soon(er than last time, I hope ...) _

_MA_


	12. Countdown

_Thanks to all who have read and reviewed so far, and much thanks to Shockwave 88 for beta and proofreading. And leave a review, get a reply from yours truly! (But fail to leave one, and Shego will haunt you to your grave ...) _

* * *

After Kim had debarked from the GJ hover jet, it immediately took off again towards its next mission. Kim and her mother shared several moments of awkward silence before Kim spoke again.

"So, Mom," Kim growled, "Shego's my cousin, which makes her your niece. And just _how_ long have you known about this?"

Anne sadly shook her head. "Kimmie, I know that this is a shock to you, and it was to me too. I really didn't know for sure until Shego called me last week. She had wanted to tell me face to face, but she didn't want to make a scene here at the hospital."

"How nice of her." Kim's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Anne replied flatly, "Now, Kimmie ..."

"Sorry," Kim mumbled apologetically. "I know you've always taught us to get along our relatives, but this is really pushing it, don't you think? My mortal enemy for four years and it turns out we're _related?_"

Anne sighed and placed a reassuring hand on Kim's shoulder. "Kim, why don't we talk about this in my office? It's a little more private there than out here on the helipad."

They both walked in stony silence to Anne's office. Anne closed the door quietly behind her and turned toward her daughter. Kim had crossed her arms and stood there impatiently waiting for her mother to continue.

"Have a seat, Kimmie. And please relax? Remember that I'm not the villain here."

A trace of a smile tugged at Kim's lips as she unfolded her arms. "You're right, Mom, sorry. That would be Shego's job." Upon saying that, Kim realized that she was still having a difficult time wrapping her mind around this new sitch. She sat down and began to calm herself a little as her mother started to explain.

"I suppose I should start with what I actually knew beforehand. Your aunt's name was Sharon. She always was a little wild, but when she married an alcoholic it put a real barrier between her and the rest of our family. We tried to remain on good terms, but her husband didn't want to have anything to do with us."

Kim remembered what Shego had just told her about her relationship with Team Go, and how dysfunctional the whole family had been.

Kim thought sympathetically, _Well, it sounds like that may have been the root cause._

"Their relationship was naturally pretty rocky, but they did manage to have several children: two sons and a daughter. She was pregnant with twins when her husband died suddenly. We lost touch completely for quite a few years after they moved to Go City, until I got the news that she had lost her life when her home burned down. As Henry was the eldest brother, he became their guardian. Your father and I tried to get them to move out here, but Henry was adamant that they should stay in Go City, where they were firmly rooted. More so than we realized: they were by now secretly Team Go, and kept their superhero identities under wraps even from us."

_So Mom really didn't know. So far, so good._

"But Mom, didn't they know who _I _was? We've met them before, and I've worked with them a number of times! No one ever put two and two together?"

"Apparently not, Kimmie, even when they were all over here that one time. Remember that before then we had never met them directly, nor had they ever met us. Something did seem familiar about them, but I never could quite put my finger on it. Then when Shego called last week, everything clicked. That's why I said that I really didn't think you had anything to worry about regarding Ron and Shego."

Things began to click into place in Kim's mind. "Yeah, and now I understand why you said that Ron and I might be able to keep Shego on the straight and narrow, and why you gave me that funny look when I brought up the UN."

Anne sighed softly. "Kimmie, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you right then. But Shego was adamant that she be the one to tell you first. She also promised to call and tell me as soon as she had, which was just a few hours ago. She said you had a fairly civil talk."

Kim flashed a sardonic smile. "Well, I wasn't _all_ that civil at first. And I'm still getting used to the idea. But I've talked with Ron already, and I'm sure we'll all get used to it eventually." She shrugged. "So, I guess we should invite her to the wedding?"

Anne relaxed as she laughed lightly. "That's funny that you should ask, Kimmie. Shego actually did ask about that, but I said I'd leave it up to you. And the same thing with Drew Lipsky, _aka_ Dr. Drakken. You do remember that he and your father went to college together?"

Kim rolled her eyes as she flatly replied, "How could I forget?"

Kim was suddenly struck with an idea as a plan quickly formed in her mind. "But, if we invite _both_ of them, that might help get them working together again, which was the whole reason for my trip to Greece in the first place."

Anne listened intently.

"But only as long as we can trust them not to disrupt the wedding, that is. I'll talk that over with Ron tonight."

Kim smiled hopefully for the first time since returning. "And Mom?"

"Yes, Kimmie?" Anne smiled warmly once again at her daughter.

"I'm sorry Shego put you on the spot with the news and didn't let you tell me. And I'm sorry if I harshed on you a little for not telling me right away. I'm sure this will all work out eventually, but I have a feeling it's also going to take everyone more than just a little getting used to."

Kim gently hugged her mother, thankful that things were now all out in the open.

"Now, about my wedding dress ..."

* * *

Kim was in a much better mood now that she was back in Middleton amongst family and friends. She missed Ron terribly, but she kept in touch daily with her fiancé. She hit the call button on her Kimmunicator, and a moment later a beaming Ron appeared.

"Hey there, Monkey Boy," Kim greeted happily. "So how goes the training?"

"Things are actually going pretty well KP. My focus and concentration are improving, and I may be able to start my advanced training soon."

Kim was thrilled with the news. "That's great, Ron! So, are you going to be able to do Sensei's floaty-thingy?"

"Probably. And if the former Mystical Monkey Masters are any indication, astral projection as well."

Kim's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Whoa! Way to go, Ron!"

"Yeah, and I'll be able to write 'KP Rocks' on the wall with mystery meat from a thousand miles away! Coolio, huh?"

Kim just shook her head and smiled. "Whatever you say, Monkey Boy. Just no secret notes to Shego, okay?"

"Gotcha, KP. Speaking of whom, since she's, uh, family now, shouldn't we invite her to the wedding?"

Kim grimaced. "Yeah, Mom and I already talked about that. She's leaving it up to me, but I haven't decided yet. And what about the rest of Team Go? I've got new cousins all around!"

Ron looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Hmm ... but that might blow their cover, KP. Maybe we can invite them as friends of the family?"

"Yeah, that might work. But we'll probably have to keep Cousin Larry as far away from Shego as possible. I have a feeling Shego will want to blast him to bits with her plasma within ten seconds of making his acquaintance."

"Oh, man. The Nerd and the Villainess. Ya think Larry would even last the day without getting torched? Shego definitely doesn't have a high tolerance for geeks," Ron chuckled. "I should know."

Kim smiled somewhat. "Well, that should make for quite a wedding reception at the very least. And family reunions may never be the same again ..."

"Oh, Kim, and how about Felix? I've asked him to be my best man, but if you remember, Shego and Drakken tried to jack his wheelchair that one time. Let me talk to him and see how he'd feel about Shego attending. But I'm guessing he'll be cool about it since she's back to being one of the good guys now."

"Well, I hope so, Ron. Shego's been known to switch allegiances at the drop of a hat before. I really hope she's changed for good. But seriously, Ron, do you really think we can trust her not to go all green on the wedding party? And if we invite her, will we need to invite Drakken too?"

Ron shook his head. "Man, KP! This is _really_ getting awkweird. I guess you'll just have to ask her." A devilish grin broke out onto his face. "Maybe we can get them working together again if we invite them both?"

"I'm seriously thinking about it, Ron. And since we're on the subject, I guess we really should decide who else to invite. I was thinking I'd ask Monique to be my maid of honor. And how do you think your folks would go for Hana being the flower girl?"

"Great idea, KP! I think they'd be honored to let the _widdle intwuder_ do the flower honors. Uh, just as long as she doesn't start running around the ceiling of the church, that is. And since Rufus did so well protecting your ring from Camille Leon, I'm thinking he'd be perfect as the ring bearer. Finding a tux to fit him may be a little hard though."

"I'm sure I can call in a favor on that, Ron. Now, how about the cheer squad? You and I both go way back with all of them, but that would also mean inviting Bonnie, too."

Ron smirked, "If the Queen Bee would demean herself enough to show up, that is. Especially since the day will be revolving around us instead of her. But, that's fine with me."

Kim suddenly had a distasteful thought, and her face openly showed it. "But if she brings Señor Senior Junior as a guest, he is NOT singing at the wedding. Shego and I would probably _both_ take him down simultaneously if he even _tried_ to open his mouth!"

Ron laughed. "That's a big 10-4, KP. Ooh, how about this? We make Bon-Bon the head bridesmaid with the rest of the cheer sqaud as her entourage! She always did want to be Numero Uno Head Honcho. And she wouldn't dare screw anything up since it would reflect on her!"

Kim laughed. "Spankin' idea, Ron! Sounds fine to me. Now, how about teachers? Particularly, Mr. Barkin?"

"Hmm. Well, as much as we've had our ups and downs with Barkin, I'd be okay with that, just as long as he doesn't start trying to serenade Shego. I heard that she set the dogs on him right after that sitch with Electronique."

Ron scratched his head as a sudden thought struck him.

"Uh, Kim, do you realize that just about everyone we've talked about inviting has had a run-in of some kind with Shego? Even more than with Dr. Drakken."

Kim paused for a moment. "You're right, Ron. Still, I'm willing to chance it if it gets them working together again."

"But what if she doesn't show just _because_ Dr. D is there? Man, this wedding sitch is getting more confusing by the minute."

Kim pondered upon the problem for a moment before finally deciding. "Okay, if I'm really the girl who can do anything, including getting married to my sidekick who's stepped up from my BFBF to a Mystical Monkey Master, then I can give both Shego and Drakken the benefit of the doubt and invite them. Besides, what could possibly go ..."

Ron quickly interrupted. "Whoa, Kim. Please don't finish that sentence. Who knows what evil mojo you could stir up with the PTB!"

Kim was confused. "Huh? What's, uh, the PTB?"

Ron looked astounded. "Kim! The Powers That Be! Fate. Destiny. Fortune. Karma. Kismet. All that stuff we've been dealing with almost our entire lives?"

Kim gave Ron a dubious look. "Uh, riiight. So I guess I'll just leave that alone then?"

"Please and thank you, KP. Well, I gotta get back to my training. Oh, and you'll be glad to know Yori took the news real well. She wished us both peace and prosperity, and some other cool Ninja blessing stuff."

Kim breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear, Ron. Y'know, I think she really rocks. So, sorry for my jellin' in the past. And if you want to invite her too, that's fine with me. With all the sitches that we've helped each other with, she's almost an honorary member of Team Possible anyway."

Ron brightened up at that thought. "Thanks, KP. She's on a trip right now, but I'll let her know as soon as she gets back. I can just hear her now ..." Ron bowed deeply as he intoned, _"__It would be my honor, Stoppable-san.__"_

Kim laughed. "Pretty good imitation, Ninja Boy!"

Ron's voice then took on a slight air of trepidation. "Oh, and, uh, Sensei wants her involved in my advanced training when she gets back. Will you be okay with that?"

The very thought of Yori being so intimately involved with Ron's training made Kim involuntarily tense up for a moment, but she quickly relaxed. "Since you told me up front, it's no problem, Ron. It's when we keep stuff from each other that we run into problems."

Now it was Ron's turn to breathe a sigh of relief. "I couldn't agree more, KP. Thanks. So, same time tomorrow?"

"You can count on it, Monkey Boy. And wish me luck, I'm off to my first liaison meeting between the Space Center, GJ and the military. Hopefully we'll have some good news today."

"Okay, KP. Good luck!"

She broke the connection and rushed to her meeting.

* * *

The weekly conference had just started. Dr. James Possible, Dr. Betty Director and General Sims were all in attendance, and she hoped the excitement she felt about her new job would keep things on a positive note.

Dr. Director began. "So Kim, how are things proceeding?"

"Real well, Dr. Director. General Sims has informed us that they've been able to recover most of the alien weaponry. The warbots were armed with a plasma weapon, similar to what Shego's power consists of, but on a much more powerful scale. And we've discovered how to operate them, ironically thanks in no small part to the Tweebs."

Dr. P smiled as he shook his head. "Well, boys will be boys. At least something good resulted from poor Mr. Barkin losing his car."

Kim giggled at her brother's all too typical antics. "Uh, try _both_ of his cars, Dad." Her face took on a more serious demeanor as she continued. "The biggest problem is providing enough energy to arm them. Our standard generators don't have the juice to power them for more than a few seconds at a time."

Dr. P interjected, "But the alien batteries that we've recovered do. And we're close to a breakthrough on how to recharge them without causing a catastrophic explosion."

Dr. Director added, "And Global Justice has snapped up most of the critical parts that survived from the warbots in foreign countries. With Dr. Possible's help, we should have enough of them operational to form several emergency response teams in case of invasion."

Kim jumped in with some further information. "We also have good news about Drakken's Super High Pollinator mutagen. We've just discovered that wherever it took hold, his plants took out the alien machines even if he wasn't directly present. This means he doesn't need to be everywhere at once if the Lorwardians return. I'm going over to his timeshare lair later to give him the scoop."

Dr. P smiled. "I'm also happy to report that we think that we've discovered how the mothership's engine operates. For interstellar travel, it creates an artificial singularity which surrounds the ship like a bubble, allowing for what would appear to us as faster-than-light speeds. We may be able to make it operational again within two or three months. But copying the technology and replicating it will take much longer, probably several years."

The smile faded from his face as he continued. "But whatever interstellar navigation system they used is still a mystery. It was probably contained in the bridge section, but that was almost completely destroyed in the crash. That would have been extremely helpful in locating their planet, since we still don't know where in space to be looking for them. They could be right on top of us before we'd even know it."

Kim suddenly had an idea. "Dad, didn't Pluto just blow up?"

Dr. P replied, "Yes, it did. What are you thinking, Kimmie-Cuhh ... uh, Kim?"

Kim whispered under her breath, "Nice save, Dad."

Kim continued a bit louder. "Well, it's not likely that it just blew up by itself. That would probably require ..."

"Ronald or Dr. Drakken?"

Kim's mouth hung open for a moment before the whole room burst out in laughter at Dr. P's comment.

"Good one, Dad. What I was going to say was, Pluto was the location where we sent Warmonga on a wild goose chase once. If she just happened to blow it up in a fit of pique on her way back to Lorwardia, would there be any way to tell which direction she headed in after that?"

Dr. P's brow furrowed as he became lost deep in thought. "There might be, Kim. Let me talk that over with Professor Chen at the Middleton Observatory, and with Wade. You may be on to something."

With a sly grin on his face, General Sims spoke up. "And Kim, let me check with my, ah, sources. I know a few, uh, c_urrent inhabitants_ of Area 51 who might be willing to provide some intel for us." He gave them all a conspiratorial wink. "My alien language skills may be a bit rudimentary, Miss Possible, but I have a feeling our friends have just as much at stake as we do in defending against the Lorwardians."

And with that hopeful comment, the meeting adjourned until the next week.

* * *

Ron's ability to focus had increased tenfold from the week before. Between envisioning either Kim or a Naco, both of which brought up delicious thoughts of varying kinds in his mind, he was able to instantly focus and keep that focus for progressively longer periods of time, enough so that he was now quickly and easily able to activate his Mystical Monkey Power. Even Rufus was beginning to display evidence of his own powers.

As they both floated in midair, Ron exclaimed, "Ooh, way to go, Rufus buddy! Nice glow! Hey, do you think that you could act as my night light until we get back home?"

Rufus just slapped his tiny head and muttered, _"Oh, brother ..."_

Sensei smiled. "Excellent work, Stoppable-san. You are now ready for the next level of your training. You have learned how to empty your mind in order to focus your concentration. You will now take the next step, and learn how to empty your body of your spirit as well."

"Whoa, coolio! But how do I do that, Sensei?"

"Think of it in this way. If I am holding a cup of water and I ask you if the cup is empty, you will say no, it is full of water. But if I pour the water out and ask you again, you might say, yes, it is empty now. But empty of what? The cup is now empty of water, but it is not empty of air. To be empty is to be empty of something specific. Apply this now to your body and spirit, Stoppable-san. A river of consciousness always flows within us. To ascend to the astral planes, consider your body as a cup, constantly and gently being filled with your spirit. The trick is to know how to tip your mind over and let your spirit out."

Sensei placed a guiding hand on his shoulder. "Empty your mind now, Stoppable-san."

Ron closed his eyes and concentrated. A coolness, almost like a gentle wind, flowed through his consciousness. In his mind's eye, he could see Sensei floating beside him. He looked down, and saw both of their bodies sitting below them.

Ron began to panic. "Aah! Sensei! What's happening?"

Sensei's ghostly form smiled. "You have opened your mind, young Stoppable-san."

"And what, my spirit fell out of my body? I'm not dead, am I? Oh, man, Kim is so gonna kill me if I am!"

Sensei's gentle voice continued. "Calm yourself, Stoppable-san. You are not dead: your spirit has merely left your body temporarily. Your autonomic reflexes continue, and your body continues to live."

Still a bit scared, Ron asked, "Yeah, but for how long?"

Sensei answered, "As long as your body would last even if your spirit remained within. A few days at most, the same amount of time as your body could last without food or water."

Rufus's spirit floated by them, smiling and doing tiny somersaults in the air.

Ron looked down again and noticed a thin wispy strand which appeared to be attached to his body below. "Uh, Sensei, what's that?"

"It is a mystical tether connecting your spirit with your body. With practice, you will be able to lengthen it as one would uncoil a rope. But I warn you, Stoppable-san. Never allow it to break, or else your spirit might be lost to your body forever."

Ron swallowed in fear as he realized the implications. "So, that's what happened to Yamashira, huh?"

Sensei simply nodded. "Be soft in your practice, and envision the path as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall. Follow the stream and have faith in its course. It will go its own way, meandering here and trickling there. It will find the grooves and the cracks, the crevices of where it intersects with the physical realm. Merely follow it. But never let it out of your sight."

Ron allowed his spirit to roam around the school. He floated above the courtyard and observed the students practicing their martial arts skills below. Yori had returned from her pilgrimage, and chose that moment to look up as she became aware of his presence. She smiled and waved at Ron.

Ron was amazed. "Wow, Sensei! Yori can see me?"

"Only an adept such as Yori can see you and detect your presence, if you choose to remain invisible. Soon she will teach you even more."

Sensei was close at hand as Ron and Rufus continued their exploration of the mountains around Yamanouchi. "Let your mind wander in simplicity and blend your spirit with the vastness, follow along with things the way they are. And as you grow more skilled, you will learn not only how to move physical objects, but to sense other minds as well."

"You mean, I'll be able to _mind read?_ What a totally bon-diggety power!"

Sensei warned, "Yes, but with much power ..."

"Comes much responsibility. Yeah, I know the super-hero drill. Gotcha, Sensei."

Sensei again smiled at Ron's rapid progress. "That will be enough for today, Stoppable-san. We will continue to practice daily and for continuously longer periods of time, until you are able to consciously achieve this state by your own volition."

Over the next few weeks, Ron made steady progress until he could project himself onto the astral plane on his own. He continued to travel with Rufus for safety, just in case. At last, Sensei announced that he was ready for his final training.

Yori was waiting for Ron and Rufus as they returned from lunch. They had made a daily contest out of who could grab the most sushi from the lunch lady with their mystical energy fields, and were feeling quite content after their meal. Yori smiled as she put her hands together and bowed gracefully as they approached.

"Konichiwa, Stoppable-san. Sensei informs me that you are ready for the final phase of your training. It will be my honor to assist."

"That sounds totally badical, Yori! I've really been looking forward to this."

She laughed lightly. "I never tire of your quaint American-style colloquialisms, Stoppable-san. I will truly miss you once you and Rufus-san are gone."

Ron noticed that Yori had been in an unusually deep state of peace and contentment once she had returned from her trip to Kyoto. Or was it a feeling of self-control that he sensed as well? Ron had been curious as to the reason behind her visit, but she remained quiet on the subject, only saying that it was to help her gain a deeper focus in preparation for his training.

"The final phase of your training deals with the ability to enter the mind of another, and read the thoughts of that individual. Sensei requested that I become your teacher for this, as his mind contains secrets and knowledge of the future dangerous for anyone but him to know."

Ron nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess that makes sense, Yori. If I knew what was going to happen in the future, I might accidentally change something that would cause it not to happen, or be so certain of the outcome that I might become careless."

Yori's eyes widened with surprise. "That is an amazing display of insight and wisdom, Stoppable-san!"

"Uh, thanks for the props, Yori. but not really. It's just that I've just seen too many time–travel episodes on Space Passage where Commander Kane ignores the Primal Dictate and almost destroys the universe."

"Nevertheless, you are correct in identifying the danger, and avoiding it. You have much honor in doing so. Shall we now begin?"

They both closed their eyes as they began to clear their minds, focusing intently as they both slowed their breathing.

"Reach out to me with your mind, Stoppable-san." Their minds touched. Suddenly, everything about the other was known and understood within an instant of time.

"_Wow, Yori, this is awesome!_" Ron's amazement was quickly replaced by astonishment ... and slight shock. _"__Yori, you ... you still love me?" _

"_Yes, Ron-san. I have always loved you, and I always will love you. But Kim is your destiny. She is your soul mate, if not yet your physical mate, and your one true love. This has been revealed to me in ways that you cannot yet understand. But I cannot allow my own feelings to overcome my sense of honor. My duty is very clear, and I have attained peace with that, even though there will always remain within me a remnant of sadness."_

Ron's mind immediately understood. "_So, this was the reason for your pilgrimage to Kyoto, to deal with your feelings for me?"_

_"__Yes, Ron-san. When I learned of your romantic relationship with Kim-chan, I was truthful when I told you that my heart was intact. It was not the whole truth, however, as you were not prepared for it then. But now, in this state, there can be no barriers, no shadows of incomplete truth."_

A small wave of sorrow touched Ron, like the ripple caused by a pebble tossed into a pool. It gently reflected off of Ron, and he returned it gently with his own sense of sorrow.

_"__Do not be sad for me, Ron-san. My destiny lies elsewhere, although that has not yet been revealed to me." _Yori smiled inwardly. _"__I am certain however that it will be revealed to me very soon."_

A wave of peace then touched his mind.

_"__What is your American-style saying? I will always have your back, Ron-san." _

Yori's mind touched another of Ron's memories, and he suddenly felt an icy wave reverberate with her response.

_"__Unlike the green woman with the plasma powers, who kisses only for her own pleasure. She is merely an opportunist, and has no honor. This too may change, but be on your guard until then, Ron-san. Let us leave this place now."_

The room reappeared around Ron and Yori.

"That is enough for the moment, Ron-san. As you continue to practice, you will learn how to enter another's mind without being detected, and even see through their eyes. It is also possible to so project your mind that you may begin to control that person's physical actions."

Ron perked up. "Ooh, like when Kim and I exchanged bodies that one time?"

Yori laughed lightly and blushed at her new memory of that event. "Yes, Ron-san. And hopefully without your American-style embarrassment when you changed your clothes that day."

It was now Ron's turn to blush. "Hey, not my fault! I needed clean clothes! And I tried not to peek!"

Yori giggled. "It is all right, Ron-san. I sense that your modesty overcame your curiosity that day."

Ron was relieved. "Whew! Good thing, or Kim would _so_ kill me."

"Remember that Kim-chan must have faced the same challenge as well that day, Ron-san."

Rufus began to snigger at the thought.

Ron smiled weakly. "Uh, yeah, now that you mention it ..."

* * *

Within a few weeks, Ron's training was finally complete. His control and focus were entirely in place, and he felt confident that the full range of both his Mystical Monkey powers and his ninja skills were now at his disposal.

"Well, Rufus. How about we visit Kim just like Sensei has visited _me _in the past?"

Rufus danced happily in agreement._"__Oh, boy! Yes!"_

With barely a month left before the wedding, Kim had just finished mailing the last of the wedding announcements. At the last minute she had had second thoughts regarding the invitations for Drakken and Shego, but finally decided it was for the best.

Kim walked in the front door of the Possible's newly completed home, thankful that it had finally been rebuilt. The painters had just finished the day before, and the furniture movers were due any minute. She was _so _looking forward to sleeping back in her own home, as was the rest of her family. And once the wedding day approached, many more relatives would be joining them there in anticipation of the happy occasion. Suddenly, a ghostly image began to form in front of her with its cloak looking suspiciously like one of a Jedi master.

An eerily disembodied voice began to speak. _"__Kim ... Kim Possible."_

Her initial fright turned to consternation as she suddenly recognized the spooky voice behind the dark cape.

_"__You will go to the Dagobah system, where you will train with my old master, Yoda." _

The chittering laugh of a naked mole rat could also be heard, confirming her suspicions.

"Ron! You just scared the hell out of me! What's your damage?"

Ron bowed his head slightly, a not-so-apologetic expression covering his face.

_"__Sorry KP! Just continuing to expand my abilities. Cool, huh?"_

Now over her initial shock, Kim nodded her head slightly and replied, "Actually, that's pretty spankin', Ghost Boy! And it's so good to see you!" Kim arced an eyebrow. "Uh, well, your floaty-thingy at least."

She reached over towards him to give him a hug, but passed right through him as she embraced empty air.

"Oops! Sorry, Ron. I guess I'll have to wait until you're back in the flesh to do that."

_"__That's okay, KP. My training is finally over, and I should be back to Middleton within a week."_ He floated for another few moments, just happy to be looking at Kim near enough in person and not merely over her Kimmunicator screen. _"__I've really missed you, Kim. I can't wait to get back. I can't believe the wedding is only a month away now."_

Kim heaved a huge sigh as she smiled. "Me too, Ron. Hurry back, okay? I really miss your Ronshine, y'know."

Ron floated closer to Kim, brushing his ghostly lips against hers. The feeling Kim felt at that moment was nearly indescribable; it was as if a gentle breeze had embraced her mouth as she felt the tiniest sensation of refreshing coolness tickle her nerve endings. She closed her eyes and her lips involuntarily parted, allowing familiar feelings to tantalize her consciousness.

"Mmm. Wow, Ron. I've ... I've never felt anything quite like that. It just leaves me wanting ... well, more than I can really say at the moment."

_"__That's just a preview of coming attractions, Kim. I'll be back real soon."_

He gave her a look of tortured longing. _"__I love you ..."_

And with that, Ron faded from sight, leaving behind a slightly frustrated Kim. She hugged herself and closed her eyes as she thought, _"__Hurry back, Monkey Boy, your fiancée awaits ..."_

Extremely happy to have seen Kim again, Ron felt a deep sense of peace as his spirit began the mystical trek back to Yamanouchi. He could tell that his body was having a few hunger pangs, and a Naco immediately appeared in his mind. He sighed, knowing that it would still be a while before he could enjoy his favorite snackage again. Besides, the Middleton Bueno Naco #582 had been wrecked for the very last time, never to be rebuilt. A wistful feeling began to encroach on his mind, when he suddenly had an idea.

_"__Hey, Rufus mah man! How about we make an unscheduled stop at Bueno Nacho HQ in Go City? Maybe I can use my powers to encourage a certain CEO to begin a rebuilding program for Middleton's favorite place of snackage?"_

A devious look spread across Ron's features. _"__And then, maybe a quick visit to Cousin Shaun, just to say ... hi?"_

Back at Yamanouchi, Rufus's tiny paws began to unconsciously rub themselves together in both wicked and mischievous glee.

* * *

"Nngh. Ouch!"

Drakken's small fingers slipped on yet another container of his mutagen, causing it to land on his foot with a resounding thud. But, instead of his typical outburst of anger laced with colorful invectives, he simply picked it back up and placed it on the waiting cart. Without Shego to rant to, any emotional displays on his part just seemed pointless. He was only slightly mollified by the help of his new temp, Phil Perkins. He would have preferred using Phil's brother Hank, but Hank was still recovering from injuries received when Hank's Gourmet Cupcake factory exploded, and that irritating Worker's Comp lawsuit was still pending.

Phil was adequate, but he really would have preferred Shego. He heaved his shoulders as he sighed deeply. He then smiled wistfully at the memory of how she had handled his henchmen in the past.

"Yes, she truly 'inspired' them to much greater efficiency. Fear goes _so _much farther than pointless incentive programs."

He nodded in satisfaction in the knowledge that the final batches of mutagen were finally complete, and that they would soon be shipped out to strategic locations throughout the world. If the aliens returned, at least Earth would have a fighting chance.

"But with Shego by my side, we'd be unstoppable."

He grimaced at the irony of his statement. He had just received the wedding invitation from the Possibles, and the Possible/Stoppable wedding was now only three weeks away. He rolled his eyes at the further irony of their names.

"Well, I imagine that there's nothing _possible_ that will cause this wedding to be _stoppable_ now, I suppose."

He reread the invitation, which had been addressed to Dr. Drew Lipsky.

_Mr. Dr. Timothy Possible and Mrs. Dr. Anne Possible request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Kimberly Ann Possible to Ronald Dean Stoppable ..._

Dr. Drakken debated whether to accept or not. Considering how many times he had tried to destroy them, it was amazing that they had even considered inviting him. And if they had invited _him_, perhaps they had invited ...

An all too rare smile appeared on his face. But did he dare ask Shego directly if she had been invited, and would she be attending? No ... she might consider that as too simpering. Like the buffoon had said, she admires strength. He would accept and simply bite the bullet on whether she would show or not. But he really hoped that she would. He then laughed, wondering where they would seat them. He decided that given their mutual history that neither the side for family and friends of the bride _or_ of the groom would do. Maybe they would have a 'Former Enemies of Team Possible' section?

After signing the acknowledgement card and sealing it in the postpaid envelope, Dr. Drakken's mood was considerably lighter than it had been for months. His henchmen simply scratched their heads as he tunelessly sang an _Oh Boyz _song as he left for the Post Office.

* * *

Shego had just opened her wedding invitation.

"Well," she mused, "it looks like Miss Priss is actually going to tie the knot and become Mrs. Stoppable. I really didn't think they'd go through with it. And it's just two weeks away. Lucky I had my mail forwarded here."

She looked out over the warm, sapphire blue waters of the Bahamas. The private resort she was presently at catered only to the richest and most powerful people in the world. With her huge bank account which had been quietly ignored by the law enforcement agencies that had given her and Dr. Drakken their blanket pardon, her high credit rating was still intact as well. And with no one pursuing her for the first time in who knew how many years, she had been able to spend an extended amount of time vacationing. As often as she had spent her down time while working for Drakken doing her nails, or reading the latest issue of Henchwoman Monthly, this was truly a relaxing time and she was making the most of it. Water skiing, snorkeling, para-sailing, sunbathing, and all without the need of constantly looking over her shoulder for Kim and the buffoon to swoop down and wreck Drakken's plot _du jour_.

Correction: Cousin Kim and her fiancé, Ron Stoppable: Mystical Monkey Master. She sighed, realizing how much she missed her battles with Kim and their exchange of snarky insults. Yeah, as bossy as Kim was and as goofy as Ron could be, they had both stuck together through thick and thin. Just like her and Drakken had. She shook her head at how much more she was thinking about the dear doctor these days.

She would have loved to talk her feelings over with someone, but her own pride and fearsome reputation made that impossible. That one time she had sought out a therapist, the doctor had mentioned something about transference and association fueled by unresolved family issues stemming from her childhood. Too bad she had blown away that poor doctor's office in a fit of rage as she yelled, "Yeah? Resolve _this_!" So it was a bit late now to go back and make amends.

Even so, she had begun to make peace at least with herself, if not her past. But as she no longer had half the world pursuing her, she was beginning to feel ... what, bored? Lonely? Had she really started to miss Kim, as well as Drakken? The goof really was nothing without her. And now that she had been gone for nearly three months, her thoughts began to revolve more and more around him, and the truth of her feelings were becoming inescapable. He had a crush on her for sure. But she was finally ready to admit her own feelings for him, if not to anyone else quite yet. And this without any promptings from either Kim or Drakken: she really hated being pushed into a corner about things like this until she was good and ready. And now, she felt ready. She and Drakken both really did have a new start, and a new purpose in life: prepare for a possible Lorwardian invasion. But, at one step at a time: she'd deal with a possible return to hero work later.

"Hmm. Stoppable stepped up his game, and Dr. D stepped up his. Maybe I can give him a chance. But _date_ him?" Shego made a face at that thought. "Well, Kim's wedding as a first date might be a good start, _if _he's been invited and shows up. And I do have an invitation now ..."

Shego couldn't help but laugh at the very thought of the look on Drakken's face when she'd finally let slip that Kim, who had been at the core of the very bane of their existence for so many years, was actually her cousin. She began to relish the inevitable look of confusion followed by the string of unintelligible sounds he would make as he fruitlessly searched for the words to respond with.

Her smile grew a little as she looked up at the evening sky. Several planets glittered in the rapidly approaching dusk. She had read something about a rare planetary conjunction between Mars, Venus and Jupiter in about two weeks time.

"Oh, yeah. The same day as their wedding. Hmm. That portent could either be very good, or very bad."

She shrugged to herself, staring back up into the sky, and again remembered that childhood poem from so long ago. This time, she would finish it, for luck.

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might ..."

She trailed off, silently completing her wish. She made a final decision and picked up her cellphone, staring at it for a long moment before punching in a telephone number.

"Hi, Kim? It's Shego ..."

* * *

With now only a single week before the wedding, Yori was preparing for her trip to Middleton. Ron had personally invited her before he had left, which was fortunate as she had only just now received the formal invitation through the mail. It had been delayed, no doubt, by the breakdown in worldwide mail delivery even now, three months after the alien attack.

Once she and Ron had parted, she realized that she was finally at complete peace about Ron and Kim. She blushed slightly at the memory of the goodbye kiss she shared with Ron. But, as they had often been within each others' minds for the past several weeks, she regarded that kiss as relatively innocuous in comparison, and hoped that Kim would understand that last farewell. She also knew that regardless of that peccadillo, she would always remain good friends with both Kim and Ron.

She also felt certain now that her own time would come, but at the right time and at the right place: just not quite yet. Sensei had reminded her that the universe itself cannot be hurried, nor would it be late. Destiny would take its own course and would become apparent in due time.

As she closed the last piece of her luggage, Sensei entered the room. He carried a long wooden box adorned with ancient Kanji inscriptions.

"Konichiwa, Yori-chan," Sensei began in elegant Japanese. "Please take this with you on your voyage to Middleton. Consider it as a wedding gift to Stoppable-san and Kim-chan from all of us here at Yamanouchi."

Yori's eyes widened when she realized what was contained within the ancient box.

"Sensei! The Lotus Blade?"

She quickly recovered from her surprise and smiled as she bowed deeply to Sensei.

"It will be my honor to deliver such an important gift."

Sensei merely bowed in return, but there was not even a hint of a smile on his wizened features. As he left, he thought to himself, _You will be needing this weapon sooner than later, Stoppable-san. May the ancients grant you the wisdom and power to defend us all on this humble planet ..._

* * *

_So, the big day finally approaches! And with it, many reacquaintances, but not all pleasant ones ... Update soon. _

_(But not soon enough for some of you!)_

_MA_


	13. The Univited Guest

_Thanks to all to have read and reviewed so far, and to Shockwave88 for his beta._

_Alien Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible, pitiful humans. If I did, Lorwardia would already control your despicable planet ..._

* * *

Ron had been able to snag a ride back to Middleton on yet another military transport. The long trip back had given him time to reflect not only on the past few months, but on his entire life. The fears and phobias that had dogged him so relentlessly as he grew up, as well as his many other faults and foibles, had disappeared like the early morning mist over Mount Yamanouchi. He felt confident about facing not only his imminent new life as Kim's husband, but life in general as well as any possible Lorwardian return. He felt a wave of optimism that he had rarely experienced before, for now it was based on reality, and not just on wishful thinking. Dreaming of Kim and her beautiful green eyes, he drifted off to sleep, Rufus quietly and contentedly snoring away in his pocket.

Ron woke with a start as a soldier gently shook him awake.

"Sir, we're approaching Middleton. Time to suit up."

"Thanks," Ron yawned as he stretched out his arms, Rufus doing likewise in exact imitation. "Man, I'm hungry for some snackage, and I haven't had a Naco for over two months! Do you think that you guys could drop me over my favorite Mexican-style fast food restaurant?"

The soldier asked, "Over Bueno Nacho?"

Ron replied, "Nah, I don't think I'll ever get over Bueno Nacho. But I do have a sneaking suspicion that they'll be rebuilding soon."

The soldier felt like pushing Ron out of the plane without his parachute, but simply frowned and turned away as Ron prepared for his jump. Determined not to have any more lost pants mishaps, he carefully double-checked his single piece jump suit and fastened his backpack securely before exiting the rear of the plane.

Nevertheless, history was about to repeat itself, albeit in a new and unusual way. Although Ron's clothes were quite secure, the same could not be said for the shipment of new cadet uniforms being delivered to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, one box of which was sucked out of the rear of the plane at the same time Ron made his jump. Like so many tiny parachutes, one hundred white pairs of parade dress pants quickly ballooned in midair, gently floating to the ground at nearly the same speed as Ron.

Ron complained, "Oh, man, can't I _ever_ get a break?"

Kim had been waiting for his return, and there was little doubt in her mind that the lone figure descending towards her, along with his attendant entourage of clothing, belonged to her one and only. Ron made a perfect landing as Kim ran up to him, giving him a long, tight hug.

She smiled warmly and said, "Well, you certainly haven't lost your knack for making an entrance, Ron! And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ron smiled back, simply saying in return, "Thanks, KP. I can't tell you how much I've missed you." A devilish grin broke out over his face. "But I can show you ..."

This was followed by a very long and eagerly anticipated kiss. So long and without a single breath was this kiss that the couple's skin could have turned blue, and not just from Ron's Mystical Monkey Power. After both came up gasping for air, Rufus managed to finally squeeze out of Ron's pocket, having suffered somewhat from oxygen deprivation himself. He chattered angrily at them for nearly being smothered.

Kim quickly apologized for their faux pas. "Oh, poor Rufus! Sorry!"

Rufus quickly recovered, expressing his happiness at the reunion of his two closest friends. _"All forgiven!"_

Kim was relieved. "Thanks little guy, and I've missed you too!"

She kissed him atop his tiny bald head and left behind a tiny lipstick print. Rufus quickly calmed down, now smiling happily from the attention.

Kim then noticed another tiny lipstick print, but this time it was on Ron's collar. She frowned slightly and said, "Uh, Ron, what's that?"

She pointed to the offending mark.

Ron took a quick look and then sighed, shaking his head. He quickly realized where it had come from.

"Sorry KP. That's probably from Yori's goodbye kiss to me. But don't worry, it really wasn't a romantic thing, it was more of a cultural thing. And you _know _I don't keep any secrets from you anymore." Ron knew that while what he was saying was actually true, he was still rather concerned with how Kim was taking it.

Kim crossed her arms. "Oh, really?"

She didn't sound very convinced.

Ron however remained confident in his innocence, at least this time around. He relaxed and smiled at his fiancée.

"Sure, KP. Just like this."

He gave Kim the same type of kiss that Yori had given him: a simple fond expression of parting between two old and very good friends. It was also short, and very chaste. Kim seemed to be at least somewhat mollified, if indeed that was all there was to it.

Ron ended the brief kiss and simply said, "That's how we say goodbye in Japan. But this is how we say hello in America."

Ron kissed Kim again. This kiss however, was a world apart from their kiss of a few moments before and even from their first kiss upon Ron's return. Using his new powers, Ron gently imparted to Kim the memory of their first moodulator-induced kiss, followed by their first kiss at the Junior Prom. And then the progressively more passionate kisses they had given each other in the year following ...

With a slight blue glow, he added a final touch by gently lifting them both a few inches off the ground. As they spun slowly around, they became further lost in their deep embrace. So deep, that had not the young couple been engaged to be married _quite_ soon, and if a certain father of the scientific persuasion had been watching, he would have wasted no time in immediately preparing a deep space probe to send Ron on a one-way trip to the center of a black hole in a galaxy far, far, away.

The kiss finally ended. Kim opened her eyes and felt like she'd just woken up from the most wonderful dream that she'd ever had. Her body was still pressed closely to Ron's, not quite yet willing to release him from that passionate embrace. Nearly breathless, she smiled at Ron through half-closed eyes while her arms remained entwined around his neck.

Kim purred, "I hope that what I just experienced wasn't part of your training with Yori, or I'll just have to kill you both and remain single for the rest of my life."

Ron began to blush a little as he smiled back at her. "Well, that was definitely _not_ part of my physical training, but you probably noticed that some of my mental training may have ... helped a bit."

* * *

The final week before any wedding is hectic. But it was especially so for Kim and Ron as they simultaneously tried to prepare for their nuptials _and _coordinate the planet's defense. Kim was definitely in mission mode as they tried to work out the final wedding details.

"Ok, Ron, the flower delivery to the Middleton Community Church has been confirmed for the morning of the wedding, and Mom is taking care of coordinating the specific details between the florist and the church. And I just got the menu confirmation for the reception from the caterers."

Kim cocked an eyebrow as she read over the menu, immediately noticing something unusual, but not totally unexpected.

"Ron, I see that the roast beef, shrimp and veggie meals have all been ordered, but what's this single order of chimaritos? And the notation, _Nacos, if at all possible?_"

Ron simply shrugged. "Hey, it's going to be a busy day. I figured I might need some extra snackage. And I really couldn't decide between the delicity and nutricity of the chimarito, or the simple awesomeness of the Naco."

Kim merely rolled her eyes in response. A sudden suspicion then entered her mind.

"Hmm. And I suppose you had _nothing_ to do with the surprising announcement last week that Bueno Nacho reversed their decision to rebuild Bueno Nacho #582 here in Middleton? Or that it will be a huge Mucho Grande restaurant like we saw in Go City a while back?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot as she waited for Ron's response.

In the background, a Spanish guitar was heard strumming a beautiful major chord.

Ron simply smiled back at her like the cat who had just swallowed the canary. He gently folded his hands behind his head.

"Gee KP, that's really news to me. But it sounds totally badical! Huh, Rufus buddy?"

Ron gave Rufus a subtle wink as the naked mole rat chattered away, giggling in secret understanding. Kim just shook her head as she realized there was definitely something more going on here, but she'd let it pass as long as it didn't involve any lip smacking with either current friends or former foes.

Kim sighed and continued with her checklist. "Anyway, the pastor is coordinating with Rabbi Katz for the ecumenical service. Everyone has responded to the invitations, and Nana, Slim and Joss will be arriving the day after tomorrow. They'll be staying here, and the Middleton Motor Lodge has offered a special discount for any of our other wedding guests. Even Drakken and Shego have responded! But I've already warned them both to be on their best behavior, and that Team Go will be attending as themselves and watching them like a hawk, just in case. Dr. Director also asked if they could have a few undercover GJ operatives there as well."

"Sounds good, KP." Ron then paused as he had a distasteful thought. "Just so long as Will Du isn't one of them. He's always kinda rubbed me the wrong way."

Kim nodded in agreement. "Same with me, Ron, already one step ahead of you. I've already made that specific request to Dr. Director."

Kim then began to laugh. "Oh, and speaking of requests, get this: Bonnie wanted to have the cheer squad bridesmaids do a pyramid routine during the wedding and with her landing on top, but I said no way. Then she gave me a snarky look, put her hands on her hips and said, _"Way!"_ But I got her to back down after I offered her a compromise. I said that although I felt it wouldn't be appropriate during the wedding, it would be _spankin_' for the reception!"

Ron grinned. "Nice one, KP! Diplomacy wins again! You sure you even _need _to go to college to learn the kinda stuff that they're going to teach you? It sounds like you really know enough already!"

Kim sighed sweetly at Ron's obvious support. "Thanks for the props, Ron, but dealing with world leaders won't be as easy as dealing with Bonnie."

Ron just crossed his arms and gave her a smug look. "You sure about that, Kim?"

She reconsidered her statement. "Then again, you may have a point ..."

Kim then launched into another series of last minute details regarding everything from the church's color scheme to the parking attendant's handling of the direction of traffic flow after the service. Ron could tell that Kim was still stressing way too much over way too many things. Even the girl who can do anything can't do _everything_.

"Chill out, Kim! Everything's is going to be just fine. We've made the plans and you've given the orders. Now just trust your friends and family to do everything that they know needs to be done."

He gently cupped her face and then kissed her tenderly. She immediately began to calm down, melting under his touch. Kim visibly relaxed as she realized Ron was right. "Yeah, I know. But it's our wedding, and I just want everything to be, well, _perfect._"

Ron smiled warmly at her. "It will be, Kim. The tuxes have been rented, Rufus' tux has been specially tailored, and I'm even getting him a four-leaf clover as a boutonnière. Your mom took care of our blood tests, the marriage license is ready to go and the rings are safely at my house. I've even talked with everyone already about how they felt about Drakken and Shego attending. After I reminded them all that they both just helped save the world, everyone agreed to put the past aside at least for the time being." He laughed. "Well, just as long as no one tries to mess with Felix's wheelchair, that is."

Kim nodded in understanding. "That's a relief. Now, how about the music? Didn't the _Oh Boyz_ just bail on us?"

Ron gave Kim a confident wink. "Not to worry, KP. I've got that covered too, even though they ditched after Robby found out that we were having shrimp at the reception, and you know how he hates fish."

She shook her head in amazement. "Yeah, and that's so weird since he's a Pisces. Oh, well." Kim brightened up as she asked, "So, any ideas for a replacement? And _please _don't say Señor Senior Junior?"

Ron beamed excitedly. "You're going to love it, Kim. M.C. Honey said she'd be honored to sing during the ceremony, and not only that, her band's agreed to play for the reception afterwards too! But she did ask if we'd be willing to share the video performance rights to the reception."

Kim was amazed. "That's totally spankin' Ron! I sure don't have any problem with that as long as you don't."

Kim suddenly realized how much more motivated and detail-oriented Ron had become since his return from Yamanouchi. Ron had really stepped up to help out with the wedding preparations in an amazing display of focus and determination, obviously one of the many side benefits of his training. He had also struck the right balance between humility and his new self-confidence: his big-headiness now seemed to be all in the past. But he had lost none of his boyish charm or devil-may-care attitude that he liked to call his essential Ronness, which had continually calmed Kim in spite of all their current pressures.

Kim looked at Ron more warmly than she had all day. "Ron, do you realize just how much I love and appreciate you? Especially helping out with everything since you've been back?"

Ron gave her his typical wide smile. "No, but I have a feeling you'll be showing me once we tie the knot."

Kim rested her chin on her hands and smiled at Ron through half-closed eyes, saying simply one word.

"_Booyah._"

It didn't take any mind-reading skills on Ron's part to know exactly what she meant by that.

* * *

The big day had finally arrived. Everything was set. Even the planets themselves seemed to be in alignment on this most auspicious of days: the wedding of Kimberly Ann Possible and Ronald Dean Stoppable.

Almost as if in honor of the event, the Earth was being treated to a rare celestial spectacle that morning. A full moon shown brightly in the early pre-dawn sky, while Venus, Mars and Jupiter glittered directly above it in perfect vertical alignment. And capping off the cosmic display right above them, a beautiful comet had appeared. Named Comet Ramesh-Chen after its discoverers, Professor Ramesh and his associate, Professor Chen of the Middlton Observatory, they had been observing its approach for several days. Although they had classified it as a Near Earth Object, neither of them had given any cause for concern. They both had independently calculated that although it would pass close by Earth's orbit, there was no chance that it would actually hit us. They assured everyone that it would easily give our planet a wide berth as it passed by well beyond the orbit of the Moon.

But hidden behind the comet's beautiful azure tail, an unseen and unwelcome visitor lurked menacingly as it sped towards its rendezvous with destiny.

Oblivious to the looming threat, Dr. James Possible was sipping a cup of steaming hot coffee and enjoying the early morning sky show from the back porch of his newly rebuilt home. Kim appeared from behind him. He turned and smiled at his soon-to-be-married daughter.

"Morning, Kimmie-cub. Up a little early, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Dad." She yawned and absently rubbed her eyes. "I didn't sleep very well last night."

Dr. P smiled. "That's not surprising. Today's your big day! But don't worry, everything will turn out just fine, I'm sure." He began to reminisce as his thoughts went back to events nearly twenty years before. "Ah, I remember not sleeping at _all _the night before my wedding. And your mother didn't either."

Kim raised an eyebrow at the implication.

Dr. P began to blush as he quickly backpedaled. "Uh, that is, neither of got any sleep in our own _separate_ beds in locations far, _far_ removed from each other ..." He then cocked an eyebrow at Kim as he continued in an admonishing tone, "And I trust that's _also_ been the case up to now between you and Ronald?"

Kim giggled. "Yes, Dad. I'm the girl who can do anything, remember? And that includes waiting until our wedding night."

_As hard as that's been at times ..._

Dr. P offered up a silent prayer of thanks. He laughed lightly as he continued, "That's a relief to hear, Kimmie-cub. I know how kids these days don't like to wait, but I'd hate to spoil your wedding by having to send Ronald on a deep-space probe into a black hole."

He brightened up as that reminded him of something a bit more positive. "Speaking of which, we were able to fire up the Lorwardian propulsion section yesterday. Their singularity drive is in perfect working order! All we need to do is attach the new Kepler III rocket on top as a command module, and we'll be tooling around the Solar System like it's a Sunday walk in the park!"

As Dr. P droned on about all the new technical specifications, Kim put her arm around her father and began to doze off.

"That's nice, Dad ..."

_I wish he had told me all this last night: I might have actually been bored enough to fall asleep ... _

They walked back inside the house, neither of them noticing that another tiny point of light had appeared near the tail of Comet Ramesh-Chen.

* * *

Flying on her rocket-powered green and black airsled, Shego flew towards Middleton at top speed. She anxiously hoped that she wouldn't miss the wedding after discovering that all commercial flights had been cancelled due to the first storm of the Caribbean hurricane season.

She mumbled to herself, "Of all the times to be stuck in the Bahamas without Dr. D's air car ..."

She wasn't concerned about how it would appear if she were late, since she was, well, Shego. But she was secretly anxious about seeing Drakken. She would maintain her usual snarky disposition when she saw him again, of course, but if he was smartly dressed in a well-fitting tux, she would really make an honest effort to compliment him. When he stuck to his weight training, he really could look good. _Really _good.

She licked her lips in anticipation.

But, she'd also have to be sincere, and not over the top. She'd lost count of how many times that he'd said to her, "Are you being serious, or just sarcastic?"

She also couldn't quite shake the feeling that something could still go seriously wrong today. After all, this was THE wedding of the new millennium. Her cousin Kim Possible, together with Ron Stoppable, soon to be a married couple? She still had a little trouble imagining all of that.

She mused to herself, "And how many villains would like to disrupt _that_ event? Let's see, how about anyone on the HenchCo Industries mailing list?"

She sighed, ironically thankful that Team Go would be in attendance along with a few undercover GJ goons that she'd been tipped off about. She chuckled. "Can't say I blame them one bit."

She had just crossed the Florida coast when she looked back over her shoulder and spotted a rapidly approaching aircraft. A GJ hover jet was vectoring in toward her on an intercept course.

"Aw, hell. I should have figured that everyone would be on high alert today. I'm in no mood for a fight, but if it's a fight they _really_ want ..."

She was about to fire up her plasma when the hover jet pulled up along side of her and clicked on its PA system. The pilot began speaking.

"Miss Go, we see you're running a little late to the wedding. Please allow us the honor of escorting you there, courtesy of Global Justice."

The side hatch opened up, and a female Global Justice agent smiled at her, motioning for her to get on board.

Shego smiled and waved back as she maneuvered closer to the hover jet.

She decided, "Well, having friends in high places apparently _does _make a difference." She laughed to herself. "Maybe I really _am _on the right side now. I could really get used to this! But how in the hell did they find me?"

At that very moment back in Middleton, an extremely pleased Wade Load breathed on his fingernails, polishing them on his just-donned tuxedo.

From the other room a voice called out, "Hurry, Wade! They want you there at least two hours before the ceremony for photos of the wedding party!"

Wade answered back, "I'll be right there, Mom!"

He shut off the device with which he had been using to track the homing beacon on Shego's airsled, then closed the door gently behind him as he left.

* * *

Back at the Possible home, the entire clan was loading into the family car. Mr. Dr. P, his sons Jim and Tim, and his brother Slim were all smartly dressed in their tuxedos, while Mrs. Dr. P, Kim's Grandma Nana and Cousin Joss wore matching powder blue formal dresses. Kim had left earlier, sneaking into the church disguised as an assistant caterer to avoid the expected crush of reporters and photographers.

As Mr. Dr. P tried to round up the twins, Nana was trying to accessorize poor Joss. "Now dear, you really should wear this sweater I brought along or you'll catch your death of cold."

Joss found it hard enough to wear a dress, let alone a bulky sweater in the eighty-degree weather they were experiencing. "Nana, ah appreciate yore concern, but I'd reckon that the weather's a bit warm for that, ya think?"

Nana soon realized that it was a lost cause, just as it had been with Kim. "Just thinking of your health, dear."

Joss secretly dreamed of wearing Kim's mission outfit for her own wedding, whenever in the future that might be. A white gown was definitely not the junior cowgirl's style, but she still thought it was perfect for Kim. "Ah think Cousin Kim is gonna look just spankin' today, don't ya think, Daddy?"

Slim Possible agreed. "Yer durn tootin, Joss! She'll be purdier than a filly all set for the State Fair! And _almost_ as purdy as _you_, Anne!"

Mrs. Dr. P laughed lightly. "Oh, Slim ..."

"Ain't that right, Squirt?" Slim gave his brother a playful slap on the back that was just a little too hard for Mr. Dr. P's taste.

Mr. Dr. P tried to force a smile, since he really hated that nickname his brother insisted on calling him. "Yes, yes, Slim, she sure is, _heh-heh._ But if you don't mind me asking, I hope you'll be polite enough to take that cowboy hat off once we're inside the church?"

Slim slapped his thigh. "Of course, Bro! That would be just plain disrespectful of me if ah did that. Think nuthin' of it."

Mr. Dr. P felt a wave of relief as he turned his attention to the twins. "And boys, absolutely no rockets, computers, video games or anything else even _remotely_ connected to technology in any way, shape or form for the duration of the wedding _and_ reception. Clear? Or else I have just two words for you: _Protective Services_."

Both of them gulped.

Jim responded, "No problem, Dad."

Tim continued, "Besides, we already have our sub-orbital spy satellite in place, with a direct link to our computer at home!"

Mr. Dr. P rolled his eyes as he started the car and began their drive to the church. But just when they were nearly out of sight of the house, he suddenly stopped. He turned around and looked back, a sense of déjà vu intruding on his thoughts.

"Anything wrong, dear? Did you forget something?" Mrs. Dr. P asked, sounding concerned.

Mr. Dr. P continued to stare at the house for a few moments before continuing on.

He sighed. "No dear, it's fine. I just wanted to make sure that an alien battle pod didn't come crashing down on our house moments after we left, like what happened when we left for Kimmie's graduation."

They soon rounded the corner, and the Possible home remained both quiet and undisturbed. But Mr. Dr. P couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that the memory had just brought up.

* * *

The entire planet seemed to be focused on Middleton. The inevitable media circus was kept at bay by nearly everyone that Kim and Ron had ever done a favor for. A thousand-foot cordon had been drawn around the community church that had been chosen for the wedding, and a mile-wide no-fly zone had been designated in order to keep nosy helicopter reporters away. Just outside the cordon, paparazzi and film crews waited anxiously for any sign of the wedding party.

Within the next hour, most of the guests had arrived, including a very anxious Dr. Drakken. Even as smartly dressed as he was, he was probably more nervous than Ron was at the moment. He had spent a considerable amount of time carefully folding his ubiquitous flower petals beneath his tuxedo jacket. Even so, a few tendrils probed from beneath his coat, sensitive to his anxiety as he continued to crane his neck for any sign of Shego. The organ began playing the pre-service music, and with a sigh of despair he decided to wait inside the church. Only fifteen minutes remained before the ceremony began.

Inside the church, the guests were being seated by the ushers. Bonnie was having difficulty convincing Señor Senior Junior that she really did need to go, giving him a gentle kiss before leaving to join the other bridesmaids in preparation for the procession. She haughtily mumbled to herself, "Shallow hottie or not, there's no way I'm going to let him mess _this_ up."

Señor Senior Senior noticed his son longingly watch Bonnie as she sashayed away in her low-cut bridesmaid dress.

"Well, my son. She is not as evil as that Shego woman, but she is evil in her own way, eh? Perhaps there will be wedding bells soon for my son as well, followed by some evil grandchildren?" He broke into his Evil Laugh #6, a gentle cackle with salacious overtones.

Señor Senior Junior tried to smile, but only managed to sigh heavily. "Yes, Father, just as soon as my career as a teen pop sensation takes off."

He morosely thought to himself_, "Which may be never. They didn't even invite me to sing for the wedding! Well, at least there's still American Starmaker ..."_

With only one minute left before the start of the wedding, a GJ hover jet made a swift landing in the church's parking lot, disgorging an extremely attractive young woman clad in a pale green gown with matching velvet gloves. Shego was slightly distressed at nearly being late, but was thankful to have made it right under the wire. She took a deep breath and shook her long black hair back before entering the church.

As she entered the sanctuary, Mr. Barkin immediately caught her eye, and he brightened up considerably upon seeing Miss Go, the lovely teacher and friend of Kim Possible that he had briefly dated six months before. She managed a weak smile and half-hearted wave in return, but her heart skipped a beat when she spotted Dr. Drakken. She smiled warmly at him as she strutted confidently over to where he was seated.

Shego tried to act nonchalant as she asked, "Hey Dr. D, is this seat taken?"

Drakken attempted to sound miffed. "Well, Shego, it's about time you showed up. Cutting it a bit close, don't you think?" Nevertheless, his true feelings became immediately apparent as his tone changed to one of concern. "I was getting worried that something might have happened to you."

Shego shrugged. "Sorry Dr. D. Had a little trouble with a hurricane." Her tone warmed as well. "But I'm glad I made it."

Drakken smiled. "I am too. You're looking ... well, wonderful, if you don't mind me saying so."

Shego smiled back. "Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself."

He cocked an eyebrow. "However, you're missing a little something. But I can fix that."

A tendril appeared, at the end of which was a beautiful pale green rose. He carefully fastened it to her wrist.

She was genuinely touched by the gesture. "It's beautiful, Dr. D. Thanks!"

The families of the bride and groom had just been seated, and the organ played the final chords of the prelude music.

"Looks like ceremony is ready to begin. We'll talk more later." She scooted a little closer to him as she thought, _"And I think we'll have lots to talk about." _

Another tendril appeared and pulled Shego even closer to the hopeful doctor. But this time she didn't resist, relaxing instead into his gentle and verdant embrace.

As the organ began to play the processional music, Ron, the pastor and Rabbi Katz walked slowly yet happily to the front of the church. Ron and Kim had wanted the service to reflect both their Christian and Jewish heritages, and as part of this, a chupah had been erected: the four-poled canopy symbolizing that the bride and groom are creating a new home together. The three off them smiled and waited beneath the chupah for the rest of the wedding party.

Hana followed close behind dropping rose petals onto the floor, but she could not contain her joy and excitement. She ran a quick 360-degree circle around the ceiling of the church before laughing happily and returning to her adoptive parents in the front row. A wave of amazement swept through the crowd as Mr. And Mrs. Stoppable blushed deeply at her antics.

Next came Rufus, bearing the rings that Ron and Kim would exchange. He desperately hoped that the special modifications he had made to each one would be unneccssary, but he was taking no chances. The fate of two worlds and countless lives might depend on it.

Felix as the Best Man rode up in his wheelchair, holding the hand of the very beautifully dressed Monique, the maid of honor. Arm in arm, Bonnie and Wade walked right behind them, with the Middleton High School cheer squad in tow as the bridesmaids.

As the strains of _Here Comes The Bride_ was heard, the audience rose and turned towards Kim. She was the picture of absolute perfection. Her long white gown and train were offset by the sheer brilliance of her striking auburn hair, which she had decided to wear long. A simple floral headpiece held her veil in place, with a wisp of hair escaping on either side. Her wedding dress had been designed by none other than Coco Banana, with a little help from the Fashionistas, who were given time off of their jail sentence in return for their assistance. Within her long white gloves, Kim held her floral bouquet. The swelling chords ended just as she joined Ron beneath the chupah.

"We are gathered here on this joyous occasion to witness the marriage of Ronald Stoppable and Kimberly Ann Possible. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

With a small tear of joy in his eye, Mr. Dr. P spoke. "I do."

The pastor then announced, "Ron and Kim have each written their own vows. Ron?"

Ron cleared his throat. "Kim, we've known each other since pre-K. Our friendship has had its ups and downs, but I've always stuck by you. Now, that friendship has turned into love." He began to choke up, but managed to continue. "As your sidekick, I've helped you fight bad guys, monsters and aliens, and now I've decided that I want to devote my entire life to you, no longer just as your sidekick, but as your husband and partner for life, until death do us part."

Tears of joy welled up in Kim's eyes, soon spilling down her face. "Ron, you've always been by my side, and you've always had my back. Together we've defeated all our enemies, and even brought some of them back to our own side." As she said this, she smiled and caught the eye of Shego and Drakken, who returned the smile. "There's no one I could ever love and appreciate more, and it will be my honor to stand by your side for the rest of our lives as your wife, until death do us part."

The expression that there wasn't a dry eye in the house has, regretfully, been overdone, but it was never more appropriate than at this moment.

Ron then took the wedding ring from the tiny pillow that Rufus held proudly aloft, and placed it on Kim's finger. Kim reciprocated, placing Ron's golden wedding band on his own finger.

Ron whispered to Kim, "These look a lot better than those magneto-rings you used to shut down the Kepler II, KP."

Kim giggled at the memory and quietly whispered back, "You've got that right, Ron."

Rabbi Katz then read the ketubah, the traditional Jewish wedding contract. Earlier that day, he had been forced to assure Ron several times that the contract had indeed been signed, unlike when he had forgotten to sign Ron's Bar Mitzvah certificate several years earlier.

The pastor then spoke the traditional injunction, "If anyone objects to this couple being bound together in marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Sitting near the rear of the congregation, Yori sensed a distant vibration. She turned around in her seat as she also recognized the rattle of the Lotus Blade within its box, carefully wrapped as a wedding present at the back of the church. Her eyes began to widen as she feared what this might portend.

A deep rumbling then began, growing increasingly louder moment by moment, until it could be felt even through the floor and walls of the entire church.

A look of fear appeared on Shego's face as she recognized the source of the sound. "Oh, no."

The power failed, and screams were heard as the sanctuary was plunged into near darkness.

Shego felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Oh, please God, no."

A few people sprang up and yelled, "Earthquake!" Kim was frozen in place as she began to look up at the shaking ceiling.

Kim fearfully announced, "That's no earthquake ..."

The ceiling began to crack and then split wide open. But instead of falling to the floor, the broken pieces of plaster and wood hung suspended in mid-air. With a deep hum, a sickly green beam of light moved the debris aside, revealing not only the blue afternoon sky, but a huge Lorwardian space cruiser hovering malevolently above them.

A loudspeaker from the spacecraft clicked on and an all too familiar female voice intoned, "Yes, pitiful humans. Warmonga _definitely_ objects."

Ron quickly recovered from the shock and sneered, "Not at _my_ wedding!"

Again faced with mortal danger, he lost no time in activating his Mystical Monkey Power. HeGo immediately commanded, "Go Team Go!" as they all simultaneously launched into action as well. The undercover GJ agents pulled out their weapons and opened fire, and Shego wasted no time in activating her plasma, firing off bolt after bolt of green energy blasts in short order, only to have them bounce harmlessly off of the huge craft.

Even Bonnie tried to do her part. "Cheer squad! Pyramid, now!" In unison, the cheerleding bridesmaids called out, "Two! Four! Six! Eight! A-li-ens we really hate!"

Bonnie locked her hands together and looked at Kim. Years of working together meant Kim didn't even have to ask what her plan was. Kim ran full tilt toward Bonnie with knowledge aforethought that she'd launch her to the top of the pyramid and then continue up and into Warmonga's ship.

But as swiftly as they could all react, Warmonga was already one step ahead of them. She flipped a switch, and a blue energy field enveloped the entire church sanctuary and the people within. In an instant her Neurotomic Disabler had frozen everyone in place, and no one was able to move so much as a finger in response. In the next moment, everyone collapsed onto the floor, their nervous systems totally paralyzed by the beam. Warmonga's laugh cackled over the loudspeaker, echoing throughout the sanctuary which was now littered with the unconscious forms of the hapless wedding party and guests.

Warmonga laughed wickedly. "Ah, the miracles of Lorwardian technology. All too easy. Revenge is a dish best served very cold, blue ones. Would that Warmonga had been given the authority to destroy you all at this very moment, but this will have to suffice."

She activated another switch on her control panel. Twin beams of green light coalesced around the limp forms of Ron Stoppable and Dr. Drakken, and they were quickly drawn into the waiting maw of the spacecraft. As Warmonga's maniacal laugh increased both in pitch and intensity, the hatch closed and the spacecraft began to move away, slowly at first but rapidly picking up speed.

The GJ hover jets on patrol nearby immediately gave chase, but they simply weren't fast enough to catch up with the spacecraft and were all quickly left behind. Fortunately, military radar had picked up the approach of Warmonga's ship and quickly vectored in several F-16 Fighting Falcons that were close enough to intercept. The two fighters punched in their afterburners and swiftly closed the range between them and the rapidly accelerating alien ship.

The first pilot clicked on his radio. "Blue One to base, the ship is Lorwardian. Repeat: Lorwardian. Missile lock acquired on the target. Request permission to fire."

The radio crackled in reply, "Permission granted, Blue One. Take her out."

The first fighter fired off a volley of Sparrow air-to-air missiles, while the second fighter closed with Warmonga's ship until it was within range of its Vulcan 20mm gatling gun.

"Blue Two opening fire." The pilot of the second fighter pressed his firing button, cannon shells dancing brightly across the alien hull as the missiles of the first fighter struck. Sadly, the weapons were but a mere pinprick against the spacecraft's reinforced hull.

The female alien simply laughed in response. "Fools! Warmonga has a gift for you as well." With a touch of another button, a red energy beam lanced out from her ship, swatting the fighters out of the sky like two pesky mosquitoes. With their planes now burning and out of control, both pilots ejected to safety as Warmonga headed into orbit and then back toward Lorwardia.

Within the next few minutes, a myriad of tiny points of light began to appear in the skies over Earth.

At Area 51, planetary early warning systems began to activate, their klaxons announcing the arrival not only of Warmonga's craft, but one hundred heavily-armed Lorwardian battlecruisers as well. As they began to assume a strategic orbital pattern around the Earth, the reflection of the sun off of the enormous craft could be seen even with the naked eye. Nearly everyone on Earth could now observe for themselves that their worst fears were about to be realized.

General Sims looked up at the terrifying spectacle through his binoculars, his jaw dropping open in abject fear.

"My God ... they're here ..."

* * *

The first thing that Ron had become aware of when he came to was the gentle movement of air across his face. He could also sense deep vibrations in the subsonic range, possibly indicating a massive engine nearby. As he floated in mid-air, he looked down at the metal bindings around his hands and feet, and concluded that he must now be a prisoner on Warmonga's spacecraft. But why? He then began to experience a more palpable feeling, that of a splitting headache. His mouth was also dry and he was slightly sick to his stomach. Warmonga's Neurotomic Disabler had certainly done its work well.

He tried to raise his head as he called out, "Kim? Are you there?" He looked to his right but was immediately dismayed by who he saw.

"Dr. Drakken?"

Drakken was still unconscious, his head lolling to one side, wilted flower petals extruding from beneath his rumpled tuxedo. He looked for all the world like one who had had one too many drinks at a wedding reception ... a reception that hadn't yet occurred, along with the conclusion of the wedding itself. Now that Ron was fully awake, he tried to rouse Drakken from his torpid state.

"Dr. D! Wake up!"

Drakken began to stir, mumbling incoherently. This was not an unusual state for him, but Ron realized that time was of the essence. He smiled wickedly, knowing exactly what would rouse him. He yelled out, "Shego! Stop dancing on that table and put your dress back on!"

Drakken was immediately awake as his eyes shot wide open, darting around his new surroundings.

"Shego? Shego!" He suddenly realized that the brief vision of Shego that had just passed through his mind was merely an illusion. He got a further sinking feeling when he realized that he wasn't at Kim Possible's wedding reception at all, but back in an all too familiar and unpleasant location: Warmonga's spacecraft. He sighed heavily and looked to his left, noticing that his fellow prisoner wasn't even Kim Possible this time, but Ron Stoppable instead.

Drakken shook his head in dismay. "Oh, this is just great. Last time I was stuck with my former teen nemesis, now I'm trapped with the buffoon."

Slightly perturbed, Ron responded, "Hey, that's _Mr._ Buffoon to you!" But he brightened up as he continued, "Don't worry, Dr. D. I'll have us out of these shackles in no time."

Drakken simply sighed in reply, "I've always found youthful enthusiasm extremely irritating, and this time is no exception. I don't think we'll be escaping so easily this time."

A voice growled from behind them. "You are correct, blue imposter. Warmonga has you firmly secured."

The nine-foot tall green-skinned alien smiled malevolently at them as she stormed around into their view, each of her thundering steps echoing throughout the dark brig. The wounds that Warmonga had received in her first battle with them were now healed, but scars still crossed her face, making her grin appear even more frightening than before. Not entirely covered by her close-fitting maroon leotard, scars could also be seen on her arms and legs. Revenge blazed in her eyes, and she was now intent on truly savoring this moment of overwhelming victory over the two who had bested her and Warhok in combat only three months before.

Not to be intimidated, Ron shot back, "So, Warmonga, still referring to yourself in the third person?"

Momentarily confused, Warmonga looked quickly around the room. "Why, do you observe three of me? I do not understand."

Ron snickered, "And as literal as always, I see. Well, get a load of _this!_"

Ron tried activating his power as Drakken simultaneously ordered his tendrils to attack. But the grey shackles remained securely bound around their hands and feet, their green indicator lights glowing brighter the more they tried to use their respective powers to free themselves.

"That will be pointless, young ones. Those shackles now draw their energy directly from your own powers. The more you struggle, the more powerful the bindings become."

Drakken unexpectedly brightened up as he asked, "Young ones? You think I'm young?"

Ron gave him an incredulous look. "You, young? Ha! In your dreams, Dr. D! You must be pushing, what, fifty?"

Drakken angrily responded, "I'll be forty-three next month, I'll have you know. And give me _some_ credit for my exercise regimen. You don't realize how difficult it is to stay in shape just to keep up with you and _Kimberly Ann_. Besides ..."

"ENOUGH!" Warmonga yelled. "THE PRISONERS WILL REMAIN SILENT!"

Her outburst brought Ron and Drakken's sniping to an abrupt stop. Warmonga was by now beside herself with fury and breathing heavily. Her balled fists were tightly clenched and her red eyes bored fiercely into them both as she continued.

"By the thirteen moons of Jingos, I have NEVER heard such blathering from the ones who may hold the key to our glorious conquest of the galaxy!"

Drakken and Ron looked at each other quizzically.

"What?"

"Huh? Galactic conquest?"

She continued, fixing them both with an icy stare. "Yes. You defeated Warmonga and killed my battlemate, Warhok, destroying our magnificent war machines as if they were mere toys. I burned with great desire to take my revenge and destroy both you and your despicable world, but our leader, the great Warhafter, has given Warmonga a new mission."

_And a chance to redeem myself after our ignominious defeat ..._

"One of you is the Great Blue, destined to lead the military forces of Lorwardia in the fulfillment of our most ancient of prophecies: our destiny to rule the entire galaxy. You are both to be taken back to Lorwardia until a final determination can be made on which one of you that is."

In an attempt at bravado, Ron sneered, "Yeah? And what if we don't feel like it?"

Warmonga smiled wickedly and crossed her arms. "Then your pitiful planet will be immediately destroyed. And even if you _should _somehow escape your bindings, the Earth will likewise be annihilated."

"Oh ..." Ron felt like the wind had just been taken out of his sails.

Warmonga then gestured for effect. "One hundred of our most powerful warships have just taken up positions around your planet, where they will await the outcome of your trial."

Faced with this terrifying news, Ron's face blanched white as he felt his courage slipping away.

He weakly asked, "Uh, when you say _trial_, do you mean the _legal_ kind or the _battle_ kind?"

Warmonga lowered her face to within inches of Ron's and growled menacingly, "Both, young one. One of you will live, immortalized forever as the greatest warlord in Lorwardian history."

She then bared her teeth in a wolfish smile. "And the other ... _will die_."

Drakken whimpered, "Oh, snap."

* * *

_Just a brief disclaimer: I am not Dr. Drakken's evil twin. That joke has already been done before. But don't think for one moment that our heroes are going to take this lying down, now that the Lorwardians have finally tipped their hand. They have no idea what __**real **__fury is ... _

_Update sooner than later._

_MA_


	14. Aftershock

_Just a note of thanks to all who have read and reviewed so far, and especially to Shockwave 88 for his quick beta work. And props to Eddy13 for being the first to guess that _'_Here __Comes The Bride_' _would end up being _'_There_ _Goes The Groom..._'

* * *

Kim groggily pushed herself up from the debris-covered floor, gently nursing a badly bruised arm. It had cushioned the impact of the rest of her body somewhat when she had fallen after being hit by Warmonga's Neurotomic Disabler. Some of the cheer squad were sadly even worse off than she was. A few of them had fallen nearly ten feet out of the air after attempting to build a human pyramid to assist Kim in gaining access to Warmonga's ship.

Ignoring her own injury, Kim stumbled over to her friends. Bonnie was gently cradling Tara in her arms.

Nearly in tears, Bonnie frantically sobbed, "Tara, are you okay? Please, _please_ wake up!"

Tara was still unresponsive. Anne Possible was still suffering from the effects of the Lorwardian pacification weapon herself, but she had quickly moved to Tara's side in order to check her over.

"It looks like a head injury, Bonnie, and possibly a concussion." Sirens could be heard approaching. "But it sounds like help is on the way."

"Kim-chan! Are you all right?"

Yori had quickly made her way through the groaning crowd of the slowly recovering wedding guests. With a look of concern on her face, she immediately knelt by Kim's side.

Kim gave her a weak smile in return. "I've been better. How about you? Are you okay?"

Yori nodded. "Yes, I appear to be uninjured."

Anne then looked Kim over. "That arm doesn't look too good, Kimmie. Here, let me take a look."

Kim shrugged it off. "I'll be okay, Mom, really." She glanced around her. "But, where's Ron? He was right here when ..."

Kim's eyes widened as she frantically looked around the devastated sanctuary. When she couldn't spot Ron among the groaning wedding guests, she nearly panicked. Close to tears, she cried out, "Oh my God, Mom! Is he ...?"

"Dead? I don't think so."

Shego had just forced her way through the crowd. She growled, "It looks like he's gone, along with Dr. D." She angrily slammed one fist into her other hand. "That green bitch must have grabbed them while we were unconscious. But on the other hand, if she really _had _wanted us dead, none of us would be here talking about it."

A white-hot rage began to erupt from within Kim. She furiously yelled, "You mean they've been _kidnapped!_" Her thoughts immediately went back to their graduation ceremony so many months ago, recalling something that Ron had said.

_"__Kim, you're headed for the stars, and I'm stuck on Earth."_

Now their positions had been reversed. She frowned at the irony, but was greatly relieved by the thought and the hope that came with it, that they were probably both still alive. Kim gazed up at the open sky through the gaping hole in the ceiling that had been left by Warmonga's attack. With absolute determination in her voice, she declared, "Don't worry, Ron. We're coming to rescue you, no matter what it takes!"

However, she was still perplexed by the actual reason behind the abduction. "But, I don't get it ... why them and not us? Warmonga has as much desire for payback toward us as she does to them. So, what's the sitch?"

Wade stumbled up beside them with deep concern etched on his face. "Uh, people, I think I know why. Listen to this." He played back the recording that he'd been making of the wedding service. Immediately after the Neurotomic Disabler had knocked them all out, Warmonga's voice could be clearly heard as the green force beams dragged Ron and Drakken into the bowels of her ship, along with Rufus who had been accidentally taken along for the ride as well. Kim gasped as she saw the naked mole rat just sticking out of Ron's cummerbund.

_"__Ah, the miracles of Lorwardian technology. All too easy. Revenge is a dish best served very cold, blue ones. Would that Warmonga had been given the authority to destroy you all at this very moment, but this will have to suffice."_

They all looked at each other with a mutually perplexed look. Kim asked, "Blue ones? And authority to kidnap them but not kill them, or us? But from who?"

Shego shrugged. "Well, Warmonga thought Drakken was the Great Blue, but decided that he was an impostor. But when Ron killed Warhok, and Drakken wrecked their warbots ..."

Yori added, "And since Stoppable-sama turns blue when he activates his Mystical Monkey Power ..."

"They must still be trying to figure out who's the Great Blue!" Shego concluded.

Kim questioned, "But how did she find us? How did she know where we'd all be?"

Shego tried hard not to reply with her usual sarcastic and snarky tone. "I don't think there's any way she _couldn't_ have known, Kimmie. Your wedding plans have been announced to over half the planet for months now, and you know how Warmonga likes to monitor TV broadcasts."

Yori interjected, "But, there are other possibilities as well Kim-chan."

Irritated by being interrupted a second time, Shego turned to Yori and flatly asked, "And just who are you?"

Yori bowed her head slightly and politely responded, "I am Yori, friend of Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible."

Yori had recognized Shego immediately. In spite of Shego's rude question, she had tried to give an even-handed response, but could not help but feel an immediate aversion to Kim's erstwhile enemy. Shego could almost feel a wave of iciness emanate from her, especially as Yori remembered something that she had learned during Ron's training. _"__The green woman with no honor, who kisses only for her own pleasure ..."_

Shego sneered, "Well, _Yori_, 'friend-of-Ron-Stoppable-and-Kim-Possible', I'm Shego, friend of Dr. Drakken, who's _also_ been kidnapped, if you hadn't noticed. And I'm in no mood for snippy teens right now, so if you'll excuse me ..."

Shego tried to move past Yori, but the young ninja held her ground.

What little patience Shego had left at the moment was nearly gone. Snarling dangerously at Yori, she warned the lithe young girl, "Uh, do you know _exactly_ who I am? Step aside before I rearrange that pretty little face of yours."

Upon hearing that direct threat, Yori immediately assumed a defensive crouch with one arm out in front of the other. Her face was an intense mask of control and her body instantly prepared itself for battle. A small smile began to play at the sides of her mouth, as the fingers of one hand curled up quickly in an obvious gesture of 'come and get me, if you dare'.

An evil grin appeared on Shego's face as she fired up her plasma. "Okay, have it _your_ way then ..."

Kim yelled out a moment too late, "Shego, no!"

With a yell, Shego launched into the attack, her plasma-wreathed hands swooshing through the air. It had been many months since she'd had a good knock-down drag-out fight, and this was a good release for her pent-up frustrations and anger. But Shego quickly realized that this was no ordinary girl: Yori was deftly avoiding every one of her blows almost effortlessly.

Shego raised her eyebrows. "Well, you've got some nice moves there, kiddo."

Yori nodded slightly. "Domo. But fighting you is pointless. I desire only to spare you a most embarrassing failure."

And with one well-placed kick to the abdomen, Yori sent Shego crashing into the wall behind her with enough force to leave a cracked imprint of her body upon it.

Shego immediately recovered and then launched into a brutal close-quarters attack, now holding nothing back. Yori was now only barely able to deflect the blows, but she was still holding her own against Shego's vicious and heated assault.

In a tone of voice usually reserved only for her mischievous brothers, Kim suddenly yelled out, "Both of you, _stop this instant!_"

They both halted in mid-swing as Kim grabbed each of them by their collars and then pulled them close together.

Kim growled just loud enough for the two adversaries to hear her. "Shego, meet Yori, the ninja who just helped Ron complete his training as a Mystical Monkey Master. Yori, meet Shego, my ally in defeating the Lorwardians, and my cousin."

Their jaws dropped simultaneously as they each looked at one another with surprise.

"Ninja?"

"Cousin?"

Yori put her hands together and then bowed her head towards Shego. "My apologies, Shego-chan. I was not aware of your kinship with Kim-chan, otherwise I would not have challenged you so."

Shego just shrugged and then replied, "That's okay. That workout felt kinda good after going so long without one. And you fight at least as well as Kimmie here, and she's definitely no slouch." She smiled as she continued, "So, you helped complete Stoppable's training? I thought I recognized your style."

Shego and Yori continued to talk shop about various martial arts styles, while Kim and Wade just looked at each other with puzzled expressions on their faces regarding Shego and Yori's sudden about face.

By now, most of the wedding guests had already been helped out of the wrecked church. With a heroic grunt, Hego had begun to quickly clear away the remaining rubble while the Wego twins rapidly multiplied themselves in order to assist everyone outside as quickly as possible. Mego merely rolled his eyes and then grumbled petulantly to no one in particular. He had soon shrunk himself down enough in size in order to enter the walls to try and restore the lights.

Miraculously, there had only been a few actual injuries, Kim being one of the minor ones. An ambulance had arrived for Tara, who had regained consciousness in the meantime. Anne Possible had checked her over and was fairly sure that she'd be okay, but she went along with her to the hospital just in case, leaving James to watch over their twin sons. Jim and Tim had watched the battle royal between Shego and Yori with rapt attention until Kim had broken it up, after which they had quickly lost interest.

"Dad, can we go home now? I'll bet we have some cool shots of Warmonga's spaceship!"

Dr. Possible sternly replied, "Need I remind you kids that your new brother-in-law is on that spaceship, headed off to who knows where?"

Jim responded, "Sorry, Dad. But we might just find out which way they were headed by analyzing all the data."

"And as soon as we get home, we'd be happy to share that with you!" Tim taunted.

Dr. P chuckled as he ruffled their hair. "That's my boys!" But he quickly frowned again, deeply worried about Ron's fate and that of Drew Lipski's. He sighed, "Well, that's one wedding for the record books."

Rabbi Katz overheard him. "James, I'm sorry for your loss, but we weren't able to complete the ceremony. Technically, Kim and Ron aren't quite married yet."

Kim gasped as she quickly ran over to them. "What? So after all this, I'm not even _married?_ And my fiancé has just been _kidnapped?__!_" Her face began to darken, and a fierce look of total rage came over her: a look that James had rarely seen on his daughter's face even under the most trying of circumstances.

"Dad, we've got to get Ron and Drakken back, no matter what the cost. No matter if I have to move heaven and earth, I'm going after them! I want my fiancé back, and I don't care if I have to go halfway across the stars to do it!"

She fixed her father with a glare filled with such resolve that it could have melted reinforced titanium. Her tone of voice darkened into a hiss as she spat out threateningly, "And make sure that Warmonga can _never_ do this to us again!"

Dr. P raised his hands in fear of what Kim might do next. "Whoa, Kimmie. I feel the same way, but what can we really do right now? First, we'd need to know exactly where they're headed and how to track them. Next we'd need a spacecraft capable not only of interplanetary travel, but of _interstellar_ travel, not to mention the need for interstellar navigational capability. And what about communications? It would take _years_ for radio waves to even _reach_ the nearest star, let alone Lorwardia, wherever that is!"

He sighed as he continued his litany of gloom. "And how would you retrieve them even if you _could_ find them? And how do you actually expect to fight the Lorwardians on their own planet, and what weapons could you possibly use against them? Remember that they nearly took over our entire planet a few months ago, and now we don't even have Ronald and Dr. Drakken to help us!"

Dr. P simply shook his head in dismay at the list of apparently insurmountable difficulties. "Kim, you may be able to do anything, but you simply can't do the impossible!"

Kim fixed her father with an icy stare. "Dad, you're forgetting that this is Ron we're talking about, and Drakken. And if you haven't noticed, I have a habit of making the impossible possible."

After years of trading barbs with Shego, she was finding it hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, even with her own father. "And, by the way, the fate of the world is hanging in the balance, if you hadn't noticed. You're a scientist, Dad. Scientists discover how things work and then invent the things they need to get the job done. And this is SO the drama. So just try and think: if the Lorwardians were able to get here in the first place, we just have to figure out how to get from here to Lorwardia. And we can do it just as long as we don't give up."

Dr. P nodded, resigning himself to his daughter's steely determination. "Ok, Kim. What do you suggest?"

Kim was now in full mission mode. She turned to everyone else and said, "Ok, first problem. How do we track Warmonga's ship?" She thought hard, and then had an idea. She turned to Wade. "I know I've asked this before, Wade, but do you still have Ron chipped?"

Wade looked shocked. "Kim, we've already discussed the legal and moral ramifications of that!"

She grinned slyly back at him. "But you still do, right?"

Wade shrugged in resignation. "Yeah, but its range is limited: a few thousand miles at most. If they're already beyond Earth's orbit, the signal would already be too weak."

Kim's spark of hope began to fade. For one brief moment, she wavered before the enormity of the challenge.

Yori suddenly gasped as she felt a familiar mind trying to reach her. A tiny naked mole rat mind, receding from her at an incredible speed. It was a simple, short message.

_"__Follow the ring: seventy-four megahertz ..."_

Kim looked at the sudden surprise on Yori's face. "Yori! What's wrong?"

The look of amazement on her face began to fade. "It was Rufus-san! I felt his mind, and he was desperately trying to communicate something of great importance to me. He said, 'Follow the ring: seventy-four megahertz' ... but what could it mean?"

Wade smiled. "I think I might have an idea, Yori." He turned to Dr. Possible.

"Dr. P, you know that the galaxy is filled with a dilute hydrogen plasma within which are localized higher density regions. Density fluctuations within these plasmas act to distort the phase of a propagating radio wave at particular frequencies, and these plasmas can distort the amplitude of the propagating wave."

Dr. Possible nodded in understanding. "Yes, I see what you're getting at, but have you accounted for time-invariant factors such as delay dispersion and scattering?"

"Sure thing, Dr. P. I've also adjusted for non-stationary factors such as Doppler time warping, turbulence, and multi-path fading."

Kim and Yori looked at them both like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

Shego just threw up her hands and exclaimed, "Whoa, whoa! Time out! Sorry to interrupt your little geek fest, Nerdlinger, but can you give us an explanation in English, please?"

Wade smiled with the self assurance borne of his superior intellect and insight. In other words, he knew the exact reason and wasn't afraid to rub it in a little. "Sure, Shego. The best frequency for an interstellar homing device would be seventy-four megahertz. That particular low-band frequency would cut through any other natural radio interference and at the interstellar distances required. But, what I don't get is how Rufus would know that? And what did he mean by a ring, and how could he communicate that to Yori?"

Yori smiled innocently, obviously knowing much more than she was willing to let on. "There are things in this universe that even your science cannot explain, honorable Wade-san. I ask only that you accept it as the truth."

Kim flatly stated, "Well, I'm certainly not one to look a gift horse in the mouth." She thought quickly, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "Ring. Ring bearer." She snapped her fingers in understanding. "Could Rufus have known what was about to happen and done something to Ron's ring? And not only that, but somehow also give us a clue on how to track Ron and Drakken?"

Yori smiled even wider. "Your insight is most impressive, Kim-chan."

Kim turned to her father. "Well, Dad, that solves how to track them. But without the ability to triangulate that signal, it still may be too general from a great distance to get a specific directional fix on them until we get a lot closer. Wade, how about a general direction to start? Any news from the Middleton Observatory regarding Pluto?"

Wade brightened up. "Yes, actually. I've kept in touch with Professors Ramesh and Chen, and they've been able to extrapolate the general motion of Pluto's debris field. There's a definite direction indicated. And would you like me to check with General Sims to see what he's found out from his, uh, sources?" Wade's half-smile hinted at his knowledge of what those sources really were.

"Please and thank, you Wade." Kim smiled. "Ok, that's two down. Now, Dad, weren't you telling me just this morning that the test of the Lorwardian singularity drive was successful?"

James hesitated. "Well, yes, but ..."

Kim continued to push. "And you had planned on attaching the Kepler III on top as some kind of a command module?"

"Uh, yes, but that's still only experimental ..."

Shego grinned as she fixed James with hooded eyes. "Well, Dr. P, your first rocket worked pretty well, and I had no problem flying it. Why should this time be any different?"

Kim grinned back. "Thanks, Shego. That's three. Now, how about weapons? During last week's joint planning session, didn't you report that we've cracked the battery problem? And that we can now operate the Lorwardian plasma weapons with them?"

She smiled wickedly. "Giving them a taste of their own medicine would be _such_ a sweet sitch ..."

Dr. P shrugged. "Well, that's true, but even now the power is limited. We would still need a power source strong enough to enable continuous recharging of the plasma capacitors."

Kim persisted. "But, it's _possible?_"

Dr. P couldn't help but grin at his daughter's tenacity.

"Yes, it's possible, but only just. Unless ..." He thought for a moment. "Wade, do you think that the Lorwardian singularity drive could provide enough juice to do the trick?"

Wade scratched his head. "Well, yeah, but that would require a thermodynamic medium capable of transmitting the plasma's tremendous energy flow, and probably redundant systems to compensate for the variable power flux. I could jury-rig some of the extra warbot parts for the systems, but to design and produce the necessary conductive medium would take a lot longer than we have at the moment."

Shego looked slyly at Wade. "Hey, Nerdlinger, would this do the trick?"

She removed one of her formal gloves and handed it to him.

Wade flipped a switch on the Kimmunicator, and a blue light began to scan Shego's glove. His eyes shot up in amazement.

"Whoa! Shego! According to my calculations, this material is perfect! What's it made of?"

Shego shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really know, but I've got plenty of it. It's the stuff I use to make my bodysuits and gloves out of. Regular fabric doesn't last too well when I fire up my plasma, ya know. And I've got several bolts of the fabric in storage back at the lair."

Wade continued, "All we would need to do is reweave that fabric into a cable long enough to connect the singularity drive to the plasma weapons."

Kim volunteered, "Leave that to me, Wade. I'm sure Coco Banana would be happy to do us a favor. And he's got a fabric weaving plant right here in Middleton, so no big!" She turned to Shego with a big smile. "And Shego, I never thought I'd ever say this, but you totally rock!"

Shego cheerfully smirked, "Of course I do. But thanks for noticing."

Kim felt that they were now really on a roll. "That's four."

But as sympathetic as Dr. P was to their collective plight, his training as a scientist forced him to consider all of the challenges, no matter how distasteful. "But how would we be able to communicate with you? A one-way message just to Pluto would take over five hours! And once you're beyond our Solar System, two-way radio communications would take days, and at interstellar distances, even years! Even _I_ can't change the laws of physics, Kimmie-cub!"

As Dr. P was speaking, a ghostly image started to appear before them.

A wizened voice began to speak. "Perhaps I might offer a solution, Dr. Possible-san?"

Yori gasped, "Sensei!"

His form continued to float before them as he benignly continued. "Yori has the ability to communicate with me via the astral planes, and this kind of thought is beyond the bounds of space and time. I can function as liaison between her and our humble planet. There will be no problem with communicating instantly, I assure you."

Kim beamed, "And Sensei makes five. Bingo!"

Sensei smiled and then looked directly at Yori. His eyes burned brightly, as if he were peering into her very soul. With the utmost gravity, he spoke. "This is your destiny, Yori. You have the skills to play a critical part in perhaps the most important mission our world has ever known. But I warn you: the dangers are equally great. Are you ready to accept this challenge?"

Yori fell to one knee and bowed her head before Sensei.

She replied with absolute certainty, "It will be my honor, Master Sensei."

Shego simply waved her hand dismissively. "Yada, yada. I just want Drakken back. And now that I've finally figured out what I really want, I'm not letting some green-skinned alien bitch get in my way!"

She calmed down a bit as she turned to Kim, her angry outburst quickly softening as she gently murmured, "Besides, this is a family matter now."

Dr. P looked confused and he glanced questioningly his daughter. "Uh, family matter? Exactly what does she mean by that, Kimmie?"

Kim blushed slightly and smiled apologetically. "Uh, well, _heh-heh_. Can I just explain that later, Dad?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Hmm. Well, I'll look forward to _that_."

Kim turned back to everyone else. "All right then. We have a plan, and we have the means. Are we all together in this?"

Kim placed her hand out. "For love."

Yori joined her hand to Kim's. "For honor."

With one clenched fist pulsating with green energy, Shego placed her other hand atop theirs. "For revenge."

A new Team Possible had now been forged. The die was now cast.

* * *

Meanwhile, General Sims had placed Area 51 on high alert. Upon sighting the Lorwardian armada, he had immediately telephoned the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington. He then quickly contacted NORAD and spoke to the officer in charge of operations.

"Yes, this is a Code 50 Slash Omega 1 scenario, an all-out attack by alien spacecraft bent on Earth's total subjugation. We are now at DEFCON 1. All ABM and Patriot missile defenses are now on full alert. I've been directly in touch with Washington, and they've informed me that all other major world powers are in the process of being contacted. An emergency session of the UN will be starting within the hour."

With a puzzled look on his face, he listened to the reply from the NORAD officer. General Sims flared, "What do you mean, they're just sitting there? They've got a hundred ships orbiting our planet, probably with enough firepower to blow us all back into the Stone Age! What do they think this is, a galactic pleasure cruise? What in the hell are they waiting for?"

The NORAD officer calmly informed him of what had just happened in Middleton.

General Sims paled at the news. "You mean to tell me that a Lorwardian has abducted Ron Stoppable and Dr. Drakken? They were the linchpins to our defensive strategy! We may be able to hold off their first wave of battle droids, but without them, it's only a matter of time ..."

With a look of despair, General Sims grumbled a quick thanks to the officer and then hung up. He then dialed a new number. "Get me the President. Priority One."

But before that call could be completed, every type of major communication outlet worldwide was suddenly overridden by a powerful signal emanating from the command ship of the Lorwardian fleet. TV, radio, even cell phones and texting Blackberries were all broadcasting the same dire message.

"_People of the Earth. This is Warfalkon of the Lorwardian Expeditionary Force. You have dared to defend yourselves against the might of the Lorwardian Star Empire. We are taking your two champions back to our home planet to determine which of them is the Great Blue and our ultimate leader, after which the final disposition of the Earth will be decided. You are ordered to stand down any and all defenses until this matter can be resolved. Any attempt at counterattack will be met with your swift and total destruction."_

Back at the Middleton Space Center, both Kim's and Wade's Kimmunicators were picking up the same broadcast.

Shego griped, "Well, that just cuts it, doesn't it?"

Wade sadly agreed. "Well Kim, that confirms all of our suspicions."

Kim surmised, "I guess that they must not consider anything we can do to them now any kind of threat, now that they have Ron and Drakken."

Yori reminded her, "Underestimating one's enemies is the first step on the road to defeat, Kim-chan."

Shego nodded. "I couldn't agree more, Ninja Girl. And overconfidence would naturally be their next reaction, which gives us an advantage. So, Dr. P, how soon before you can strap the Kepler III on top of that Lorwardian bucket of bolts back at the Science Center so we can get this show on the road?"

Dr. P finally felt like he had something to smile about. "That's actually already in progress, Shego. How does tomorrow morning sound to you?"

Shego smile slyly. "Works for me." An idea started to form in her devious mind. "And tell me, how much cargo space does the Kepler III have?"

Dr. P stroked his chin in thought. "Well, enough for quite a few science experiments, actually. And then there's the cargo bay, which is nearly as big as the one on NASA's Space Shuttle. What did you have in mind?"

Shego suggested, "How about as much of Dr. D's plant mutagen as the Kepler III can carry?" A wicked smile formed as she thought of yet another possibility. "And maybe a few cases of ... well, one of Dr. D's botched take-over-the-world schemes, just for a little insurance, that's all," she finished cryptically.

She turned to Kim and continued, "I'll grab all the bolts of my outfit material and get it over to your house as soon as possible, then I'll go back and collect all of Dr. D's remaining plant mutagen and get it over to the Space Center."

Kim had a better idea. "Shego, how about I arrange for some military trucks to meet you at the timeshare lair to transport both your cloth and the plant mutagen? That would save us some time, and time is one thing we don't have much of."

Shego nodded. "Sounds good to me, I'll jet to the lair right now and start getting everything ready."

Kim smiled. "We'll meet you there as soon as possible. My car is right out back. Yori, do you mind giving us a hand?"

Yori bowed her head. "It would be my honor, Kim-chan."

Wade turned to Dr. P and said, "In the meantime, I'll head back to the Space Center and get started on configuring some power flux compensators."

Dr. P responded, "And I'll take the twins home first and have a look at their satellite recording. Hopefully that will provide some clues on the direction of Warmonga's ship. Then we'll meet you back at the Center and begin installing those plasma weapons."

Jim gushed, "You mean you're going to let us help, Dad?"

Dr. P nodded. "Yes, I have a feeling we're going to need everyone's help if we expect to pull this off."

The twins responded gleefully in their typical fashion.

"Hicka bicka boo?"

"Hoosha!"

Kim let out a breath of relief. "Sounds like we're all clear then. Good luck everybody!"

And with that, they each hurriedly left to complete their respective tasks.

High above them, the Lorwardian cruisers hung like malevolent fireflies in the late afternoon sky, as Comet Ramesh-Chen suddenly made a right angle turn. It had acquired its final target, and was now headed directly toward Earth.

* * *

Shego used her air sled to quickly jet to the timeshare lair. Once she arrived, she found the lair empty since Dr. Drakken had given his henchman the day off so that he could attend the wedding. She quickly gathered up several bolts of her outfit material and placed them next to the door.

Shego then passed by Dr. D's desk, and noticed some framed photos adorning his workspace. They were pictures of them both, taken at that photo booth when she had been under the Moodulator's influence that very first time. She was touched that he had kept them. For obvious sentimental reasons, he had framed them and placed them on his desk as a reminder of her.

As she picked the pictures up, Shego then did something that she rarely did. She began to cry, a few tears trickling down her face as she realized that she no longer needed any Moodulator to alter her feelings. She now knew beyond any doubt how she really felt about him. She had finally admitted to herself that she truly loved him now. Unfortunately, he was gone, whisked away to some god-forsaken planet to be forced in taking part in some bizarre alien scheme to take over the galaxy.

In anger, she slammed the picture back down on the desk and fired off a few plasma bolts at the wall for good measure. Just as the bolts reached their intended target, Kim and Yori walked in and barely avoided being hit by the result of Shego's tempestuous outburst.

Quickly regaining her cool, she apologized to them, "Oops, sorry! Just a little moody at the moment ..."

* * *

Several hours later, Wade had completed the power flux compensators while Dr. P oversaw the installation of the Lorwardian plasma cannon into the nose of the Kepler III. Coco Banana had been more than happy to assist in the reweaving of Shego's glove material into several strong thick cords of the necessary length, and within a matter of hours the space technicians were in the process of hooking everything together into the alien ship's singularity drive.

Wade then turned his attention to reconfiguring a mobile radar unit into a seventy-four megahertz tracking device.

"Ok, people. Let's see if we can pick up Ron's signal."

He flipped a switch, and a chart of the Solar System appeared. But instead of the expected sole signal, two red lights were blinking. One was receding quickly from them and heading in the direction of the remnants of Pluto, but the other was glowing brightly over the blue dot representing Earth.

"That's strange. I'm picking up two signals, and the stronger one is still here on the surface of the planet."

He flipped another switch, zooming in on the signal. The red dot continued to blink, now appearing in the middle of the North American continent. Wade's curiosity increased as he adjusted another dial, zooming in even closer.

"Whoa! That signal's coming from right here in Middleton!"

Kim began to feel a slight warmth on her ring finger. She looked down and noticed that her ring had begun to glow softly.

With concern tinging her voice, she asked, "Uh, Wade, what's going on?"

With a final adjustment of the fine tuning dial, Wade's eyes quickly widened. "Kim! The signal is coming from ... your ring!"

Wade's Kimmunicator suddenly began to beep. It was Professor Chen, sounding absolutely frantic. "Wade! The comet has changed course and is now headed directly toward Earth! I don't know how, but there's now a one hundred percent chance of a direct impact, which will occur in less than twenty minutes! The strike will hit ..." He did some quick calculations.

"Oh, my God ... the strike will hit right here in Middleton!"

Suddenly the line went dead. Kim quickly tried her Kimmunicator, but it also had lost its signal. Dr. P tried the office phone with the same result. Civil Defense sirens began to wail in the distance.

Kim's voice trembled in fear of the impending disaster. "Wade, this is SO the drama! Could the Lorwardians have affected the comet's trajectory somehow as part of an attack against us?"

Wade shook his head. "It's possible, but why would they go to all that trouble? They have enough firepower to take out the entire planet as it is!"

Shego interjected, "Uh, people, that's going to be moot point in a just a few minutes when that comet hits _us_. So how about we get the hell outta here! _Now!_"

Kim's ring was now glowing brightly.

She yelled, "No! Everybody stay here. I'm obviously the one being targeted. And if it's locked onto me, I'm the one that has to get as far away as possible. I'll fly the SL Coupe as far from here as I can and try to drop the ring into an uninhabited area north of here."

She quickly hugged her father, a tear falling down her cheek. "Dad, I love you. Please keep preparing for the launch."

Dr. P objected. "But Kimmie ..."

Kim cut him off short. "Sorry, Dad, but there's no time."

She turned to Shego and Yori. "If I ... don't make it back, you'll have to go on the mission without me. The mission is more important than my life now. And Shego, please tell my Dad our little secret?"

Shego locked eyes with Kim, a wave of sadness passing between them in an instant. A moment later, she pulled Kim into a tight hug and whispered, "Good luck, Kim. Please come back, and please don't die." Shego released her from the embrace, giving her the trace of a sardonic smile. "Or I'll just have to kill you."

Kim grinned. "Don't worry, I don't plan on dying. Remember, I can do anything, which I also hope means staying alive."

Yori quickly said, "_Gokouun o inorimasu_, Kim-chan. May the gods protect you."

"Thanks Yori. May they protect _all _of us." Kim rushed for the door and in a moment, she was gone.

Dr. P continued to stare at the door for a long moment, wondering if he would ever see his daughter, his little girl now all grown up, alive again. He slowly turned to Shego and quietly asked, "Now, what secret did Kimmie want you to tell me?"

Shego turned to Dr. P and answered with a sheepish smile, "I guess Kim hasn't told you yet that we're, uh, cousins?"

As the sound of the SL Coupe 2.0 was heard rocketing off into the distance, Dr. P's eyes simply rolled up into his head as he passed out into a heap on the floor.

* * *

Five minutes later, a collision alarm went off in the command section of the _Devastator_, the flagship of the Lorwardian invasion fleet orbiting one hundred miles above the Earth.

Warfalkon barked out a command. "Aft view screen, _now!_"

The huge comet was directly behind them, now only a few scant seconds away. So sudden was the comet's arrival that the _Devastator_ had no time to adjust its orbit in order to avoid it.

"Aft thrusters at maximum! Emergency force shields, _now!"_

But it was too late. Warfalkon's command ship received a direct hit and was vaporized instantly. The comet barely took notice as it blazed past several other Lorwardian battlecruisers at better than forty miles per second. Two ships were sucked into the comet's wake and pulled into the upper atmosphere, where they immediately lost attitude control. Now simply hurtling projectiles, the ships quickly burned up in the atmosphere, appearing as two bright fireballs in early evening sky.

* * *

Kim raced away into the approaching darkness at the SL Coupe's top subsonic speed, heading due north away from Middleton. But at only eighty miles outside of the town, the rockets began to sputter and the SL Coupe began to rapidly lose speed.

"Oh, great. Out of fuel! I wasn't expecting to have to rocket away from the reception. Note to self, always top off the tank."

She quickly tried to spot a soft place to land on the rocky terrain below. Peering into the near darkness, she narrowly avoided several large boulders as the vehicle came hurtling down. She landed hard, blowing out one of the tires in the process.

* * *

Friction quickly slowed down the comet as it headed lower into the atmosphere, shedding much of its mass as it began to glow in a fantastic multi-colored display in the evening sky. It continued to make slight course corrections as it tracked its intended target.

* * *

Kim huffed in frustration as she discovered the blown tire. She looked up into the sky and saw the rapidly approaching comet, awesome in its deadly beauty.

"No time to change the tire. I've got to find cover."

She began running, the landscape eerily lit by the comet's coruscating glow.

"No cover. Anywhere." Now in a near panic, she tried to remove her now intensely glowing wedding ring, but with no luck. She stood there for another moment as a terrible realization hit her. A strange peace came over her as she understood what was about to happen.

"So this is how it ends."

Resigned to her fate, she looked up at the comet, now only seconds away.

"Farewell, Shego. I'm glad we had a chance to make amends. And good luck to you too, Yori. I hope you can help save them both, and comfort Ron after I'm gone."

Tears began streaming down her face.

"Ron, I love you ..."

She closed her eyes just as the comet hit.


	15. Comet

_Thanks to all who have read and reviewed (and even those who haven't!) and to Shockwave 88 for his beta work. I'm sure he's happy this chapter is back down under 5000 words ..._

_And hey, you all knew that I had to throw a cliffhanger in here somewhere, so without further ado ..._

* * *

Darkness.

Kim hesitantly opened her eyes. Darkness still prevailed.

"So, this is death."

She felt no pain nor discomfort of any kind.

"Well, not so bad so far," she mused.

She then felt the sensation of hard ground beneath her skin, and a breeze of cool air above her gently ruffling auburn hair. She had been lying face down on the barren ground, but once she turned over she was greeted by a clear night sky full of glittering stars.

"So, I'm still alive ..."

She breathed out a quick prayer of gratitude as she sluggishly got back to her feet.

Her eyes quickly darted around the landscape and sky. The comet was now gone, but there was no sign of any impact crater around her either. Then she remembered one of Mr. Barkin's science courses, when he had filled in for yet another teacher who had met with some kind of inevitable mishap.

"I guess the comet was still far enough away from me to pass overhead and hit somewhere beyond the horizon, and it just knocked me out in the process with its shock wave."

She checked out her desolate surroundings a bit further. The landscape was now illuminated with the soft glow of the moon which had just risen in the distance.

"Hmm. The horizon is 13.4 miles away." She cocked an eyebrow and wondered how she could have known the distance that precisely.

Kim looked away from the horizon and began to stare at the moon, which now seemed oddly different to her. For some reason it seemed more vivid and had greater clarity in some strange new way.

"And it's exactly 233,860 miles away." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she thought, "Whoa! How could I possibly have known _that?_ I don't remember any pop quizzes about astronomy from Mr. Barkin."

She switched her view to the planets, shining more brightly than she had remembered from the day before.

"Venus is 79,102,001 miles away. Mars is 159,432,560 miles away and Jupiter is 447,598,102 miles away." She shook her head in amazement at the certainty of her observations. "Boy, my weirdar is sure going off the chart today!"

She whipped around quickly when she heard a sound far in the distance. About a mile away, a jackrabbit nonchalantly bounded away from her. With a puzzled look on her face, she thought, "That's strange. I shouldn't be able to see that from so far away and in the dark, let alone hear it from this distance."

She carefully checked herself out for any new injuries, but discovered none. Strangely enough, even her badly bruised arm seemed to be completely healed.

"I don't get it: no bruise at all, and no pain. I couldn't have been out long enough for my arm to have healed already ..."

She suddenly recalled the memory of the wedding in excruciating and near photographic detail, as well as the subsequent abduction of Ron and Drakken. A brief moment of panic ensued as the events of the past twelve hours hit her.

Without looking at her watch, she calculated, "No. It's been exactly 12 hours, 29 minutes and 42 seconds since I fell at the wedding ..."

Kim checked her watch, and was mystified to find that she was absolutely correct.

She grabbed her head with her hands and squeezed her eyes closed. "What's going on? How in the world did I know how long that's been without even looking at my watch?"

She opened her eyes and quickly spotted her SL Coupe in the distance, now fully illuminated by the eerie moonlight. She walked over to the car and immediately noticed the blown right front tire. The metal fender was bent deep into both the tire and wheel.

"Oh, man, stuck in the middle of nowhere with no rocket fuel, _and_ a flat tire."

She leaned over to inspect the damage more closely. Placing her hand on the damaged fender, she tried to bend it, but as she did, a bright blue glow emanated from her hand. She easily twisted the metal fender away from the ruined tire.

She jumped back in surprise. "Uh-oh. _Déjà vu_ time."

Kim recalled the last time she'd experienced that glow, when the villain Avarius had used a specially designed power staff to extract Hego's superpower from him. Kim had by chance gotten in the way of the beam, and all of Hego's super strength had accidentally been transferred into her.

"All of his power. His _comet_ power ..."

Kim's jaw dropped as she began to realize exactly what had just happened. With equal amounts of excitement and trepidation, she tested her suspicions by willing her hand to light up just as she had seen Shego do so many times in the past.

At first there was barely a flicker, almost as if she had just lit the pilot light on a gas stove. But the flames on each hand quickly spread until they were both enveloped in a luminous radiance. A beautiful warm glow bathed her car and the surrounding countryside with an unmistakable emerald green iridescence. And yet, the plasma now soaking her hands felt cool on her skin. She was undoubtedly insulated automatically from any of the plasma's adverse effects.

Kim decided that a little target practice might be in order. She carefully took aim at a small boulder just a few feet away and let go with an awkward blast from each hand, easily blasting it into rubble. Then she willed the glowing flame to extinguish itself, and it dutifully complied.

"Spankin! Well, that's two. I wonder how Shego will take it when she finds out about _this_?"

Kim next experimented with shrinking herself down in size. With a purple shimmer, she instantly became the size of Rufus.

"Well, I know how Mego will take this. Like, not well at all!"

She laughed as she tried to reverse the process, increasing her height to twice her normal size. She succeeded but was instantly hit with a wave of dizziness and nausea, suddenly feeling very weak. She quickly resumed her normal height as she woozily steadied herself against her car.

"Ooh. I guess bigger isn't necessarily better. That felt like I only had my normal mass, but twice the volume. No wonder I've never seen Mego increase beyond his normal size." She chuckled with an afterthought. "Even though his ego could easily match any size he decided to increase to!"

To confirm that theory, she shrunk down in size again and spotted a rock about half her new height. She tried lifting it, and found that she could do so quite easily. She then gave the rock a swift kick and pleasantly watched as it flew as far as it would have had she been at her normal size.

Kim smiled. "Well then, that's confirmed. Only my size changes, not my mass."

Kim took a deep breath. "Okay, let's try the Wego's little trick now."

She concentrated for a moment, and with a sudden red flash began replicating duplicates of herself with ease. But she quickly found that she had concentrated too hard, as there were suddenly twenty copies of her with more being created each second.

She frantically yelled, "Whoa! Stop!"

The process immediately abated, but not before there were fifty identical Kimberly Ann Possibles filling the immediate vicinity, each looking at each other with astounded looks on their collective faces. Quickly recovering from their mutual amazement they all declared in unison, "THIS TOTALLY ROCKS!"

She began to entertain the thought that she could now be her own Christmas choir if she wanted to, if only she could hit those high notes in 'Silent Night.' She winced at the thought of fifty identical Kim Possibles all cracking on the same note at the same time. "_Brrrrr ..._"

A much happier thought then entered her mind.

"Hey, I could be my own Cheer Squad! That would be _totally_ spankin!"

She snickered, "And Bonnie would be SO jealous ..."

Kim reversed the process and reassimilated herself back into her singular form, crouched down and without a second thought bent her car's distorted bumper back into the right shape. She then changed the tire in record time by simply placing her car on its side instead of using a jack. Other than the minor damage to the tire, the car seemed to be in relatively good shape.

Realizing that by now there were probably quite a few worried friends and family eagerly awaiting news of her fate, she tried to activate her Kimmunicator, praying that it was still functional. Apparently undamaged, she smiled as the indicator lights displayed that it was still working and fully charged. But she quickly frowned after trying to call Wade. All she could get on the screen was crackling distortion and interference. For a moment she feared that something might have happened to him, but with a sniff of the air around her she discovered a much more likely reason.

"Well, after all of Drakken's failed plots involving anything electrical, I sure can tell that there's a lot of ozone in the air. It looks like that comet totally ionized the atmosphere around here, so I guess I'm not going to be able to reach anybody for some time yet. And it sure won't help if the Lorwardians are jamming communications too."

She tried to confirm her suspicion by activating the GPS device inside the SL Coupe. "Not working either. Well, isn't that just great? Out in the middle of nowhere with no way to figure out where I am."

An idea then popped into her mind. "Hmm. Let's see if any of my new powers can help."

She calmed herself, focusing on her exact location in space and time. She inhaled sharply in surprise, sensing her precise location almost instantly.

"I'm exactly 82.34 miles NNW of the Middleton Science Center. If I can find a main road, I should be able to get back to the lab by sunrise."

Though still perplexed at the reason behind her new gifts, Kim was excited by her new powers. She smiled as she started up her car and began her long trek back to Middleton.

* * *

Dr. Drakken was feeling quite frustrated. Shackled in alien bindings that derived their energy from his own powers, and without food or water for over twelve hours, he was feeling quite famished. A strange craving for a shamrock milkshake began to fill his mind. He was distracted from his fantasy when he became aware of the buffoon speaking, but it wasn't to him.

"Ok, Rufus buddy," Ron whispered softly. "Warmonga doesn't realize who you are or that you're even aboard. Keep outta sight and do whatever you can to delay this ship without blowing it up or killing us all in the process. I have a hunch Kim will try to mount a rescue mission somehow, and we have to stall Warmonga for as long as possible."

Rufus quietly chattered his acknowledgement and skittered away, his devious little mole rat mind bubbling over with mischievous ideas and schemes.

Drakken simply sighed heavily, shaking his head morosely. "Do you really think that tiny creature can do anything to prevent the inevitable?"

Ron looked at him in amazement. "Dr. D, you do realize that Rufus has had a hand in defeating you almost as much as Kim and I? And he has something most other people don't have: the power of imagination!"

Drakken simply rolled his eyes in response. "Oh, please. You mean to tell me that our fate lies in the hands of an imaginative naked mole rat?"

Ron simply grinned an all-knowing smile, fully aware of whom his trust was really in.

"Right now, yes. But don't forget that Kim and Shego will probably be on their way as soon as possible."

Drakken briefly had a glimmer of hope, but that evaporated just as quickly. "Nngh! But in what? Even Dr. Possible can't simply conjure up an interstellar spaceship out of thin air. And youthful optimism is one thing, but have you forgotten that we're both trapped on a spaceship heading towards Lorwardia to face each other in a battle to the death?"

"Well, uh, no, I haven't forgotten. But I don't think that Kim and Shego will just be sitting on their hands moping around either. They won't be leaving any, uh, uncovered rocks lying around to discover a way to find us."

Drakken winced at Ron's butchered metaphor. "I believe the phrase is, 'no stone unturned?' But your point is well taken." He sighed heavily as he remembered all the times Shego had sarcastically corrected his own mixed-up metaphors.

"And Dr. D?" Drakken lifted his head toward Ron. "I think Shego loves you every bit as much as Kim loves me. Even considering my monkey powers and your mutagenic abilities, I don't think that there's any force in the universe more powerful than those two. And once we're finished with the Lorwardians, they're gonna wish that they had never even _heard_ of the planet Earth! Uh, I hope."

But Dr. Drakken had tuned Ron out a few moments before. With a faraway look in his eyes, he asked, "Do you really think Shego ... loves me?"

Ron did a double-take. "Dude! Did you see her face light up when she saw you at the wedding? She's got the bon-diggety hots for you, Dr. D!"

Something then clicked inside the previously mopey mad scientist. With a look of resolve Ron hadn't seen for quite some time, Drakken evenly replied, "Well then, let's give your little pet all the help we can."

With a grunt, he sprouted a few new leaves and tendrils. They promptly fell off of his neck and onto the floor, and ever so slowly, they began to make their way to the nearest air vent. So slowly in fact, that they failed to activate the sensors of the automatic plasma cannon trained on Ron and Drakken. Soon they were on their way on the mission Drakken had planted within their rudimentary floral consciousness. Drakken was now smiling at Ron with an evil grin.

With a renewed sense of his old flair and style, he defiantly snarled, "This will be my greatest _anti_-doomsday plan, _ever!_"

* * *

The mood back at the Middleton Science Center was grim. Electronic communications of any type were still out, and all that anyone knew was that the comet had indeed been tracking Kim, probably striking somewhere north of them. How close or how far away was still anyone's guess, and Kim's fate was still unknown.

Wade had been unable to break through the Lorwardian jamming, but did had some ideas on how to reconfigure both Kimmunicators to broadcast on an ultra-low frequency, if and when he saw Kim again. In the meantime, Dr. Possible had asked the military to send out rescue parties north of Middleton to search for Kim. While Dr. P, Wade and Yori kept their anxious vigil, Shego had joined in the search by flying her small air sled in a desperate attempt to locate her cousin.

Shego silently pleaded, _"Please still be alive, Kimmie, please still be alive ..."_

Covering much more distance in the air than could the frantic ground search in progress below her, she had flown nearly forty miles due north when she spotted a car rapidly approaching on the highway below. The driver quickly came to complete stop. A redheaded figure jumped out and waved frantically at Shego in order to get her attention. Shego zoomed down and landed a few feet away, relief etched on her face as she realized that it was indeed Kim.

With her fears now calmed, she couldn't resist slipping briefly back into her old sarcastic ways. "Well, _Princess_, so nice of you to be passing through. Did you even bother sending us a postcard?"

Kim smiled. She ignored the barb and replied, "Nice to see you too, Shego."

Shego pulled Kim into a tight hug, thankful that her cousin was still alive. She joked, "Well, I guess I won't have to kill you now. So, what the hell happened? Everybody's worried sick that the comet might have done you in."

Kim hesitated. "Well, it didn't. But for some reason, it left me with, uh, a few gifts."

Shego raised an eyebrow. "A few gifts? What _are_ you talking about, Kim?"

Kim lifted a hand, which she promptly lit into a burst of green flame.

Shego jumped back in surprise. "Holy _crap!_ You've got _comet powers?_"

Kim replied nonchalantly, "Yup. All of them, apparently. And that's not all: my senses seem to be heightened too. My sight and hearing abilities are improved; I can measure my distance from objects exactly as well as note the exact passage of time, and I even have the ability to sense my exact location without a map."

Shego was amazed. "Whoa. So you're a human radar/chronometer/GPS unit all rolled into one, as well as a one-woman Team Go? Boy, Cupcake, I'm definitely glad I'm on _your_ side. Between Ron's monkey powers and your new comet powers, I don't think _anyone _could stand up to you two now."

"Yeah, but why me?" Kim wondered. "That comet didn't hit me just by accident; that stupid thing was tracking me! That's means someone, or something, must have sent it on purpose." She frowned as she continued to grapple with the strange puzzle. "And _someone_ here on Earth must have known about it as well, since my ring was obviously what allowed it to find me. But who? Ron?"

Shego shook her head. "I dunno, Kim. But I can't imagine the Ronster doing _anything_ that would put you in danger, even as great as the result has turned out to be, without telling you or warning you first."

Kim nodded. "You're right, but I think I need to have a little talk with Yori. She may have some insight on all of this. C'mon, strap your surfboard on top of the car and we'll head back to Middleton for some answers."

Shego chided, "Uh, Kim, it's called an air sled?"

Kim just giggled, "Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to, whatever." She rubbed her hands together in glee. "So, now that I share your plasma power, how about spilling on some advanced tips about the different ways I can use it?"

As they both climbed into the SL Coupe, Shego broke out into a conspiratorial grin. "Well, as you've probably noticed it can be used for area blasts as well as focused attacks. And with a little work you'll be able to use it percussively and knock someone out with just a flick of your finger ..."

Shego continued to expound on the secrets of her powers to Kim as they drove back together to Middleton in the pre-dawn light.

* * *

As soon as Kim and Shego entered Dr. P's lab, they were met by an incredible outpouring of joy and relief from all who were present.

"Kim!" Dr. P was overjoyed to see his daughter alive. Kim rushed into her father's arms and held him in a tight hug while everyone else began speaking at once.

Yori gushed, "Kim-chan! I am pleased to see that you are uninjured!"

Wade beamed, "You made it, Kim! And I just figured out how to adjust the frequency on your Kimmunicator to compensate for the Lorwardian interference, so we won't lose contact again!"

Dr. P held up his hand. "Whoa! Quiet, everyone! Give her a chance to tell us what happened!" He turned to his daughter. "Kim, we all feared the worst when we couldn't regain contact with you or anyone else. But apparently you were able to avoid that comet."

Kim grinned sheepishly. "Well, not exactly. And it's easier just to show you rather than try to explain what happened."

With a sudden purple glow, she shrunk herself down to a height of six inches, followed immediately by a red glimmer as she copied herself into ten identical Kims. Forming her new selves into a pyramid, she used her green plasma energy to blast the leg off of a large table. She quickly increased her size while simultaneously reforming into a single Kim, and with a blue flash, caught the toppling table with one hand. She then lifted it over her head in a feat of extraordinary strength.

Dr. P looked puzzled. "So, are you running off to join the Ringling Brothers? You know how I feel about circus folk, Kimmie-cub."

Kim just shook her head in bewilderment at her dad's reaction. "As much as I love you, Dad, you can be SO clueless sometimes ..."

Yori on the other hand was speechless with amazement, and Wade was likewise astounded. "Whoa, Kim! You've got all the powers of Team Go! So the comet _did _hit you!"

Kim nodded. "It sure did, and at first I thought I was dead. But besides my comet powers, I noticed right away that both my sight and hearing abilities had increased, and that I could measure my distance from objects exactly as well as note the exact passage of time. I even have the ability to sense exactly where I am physically without any kind of map!"

Wade felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck. "Kim, now you're really spooking me out. Those are _exactly _the same abilities one would need in order to fully utilize the interstellar navigational array I just finished installing into the Kepler III. A computer could do it, but it would have to be programmed with specific stars, their planets, and anything down to the size of a small moon in order to function with complete accuracy. That would take weeks to accomplish, and even now we don't have all the necessary information in the detail needed for the direction you're headed. Your speed would therefore have to be slower in order to accommodate all those variables, but this changes everything!"

Shego just crossed her arms and bellowed, "_Whoop! Whoop!_ Geek alert, everybody ..."

Wade continued without a breath. "You see, space isn't totally empty. There are more than thirty thousand Kuiper Belt objects greater than a hundred kilometers in diameter, and that's just within five billion miles of Earth. Beyond that is the Oort Cloud, and that's a thousand times larger. It probably contains even _more_ comets and planetoids, but we have no idea about any of their precise locations."

Shego did a time-out motion with her hands. "Uh, Nerdlinger, cliff notes version please?"

Wade sighed. "Ok, if you're flying faster than light and don't have a map of what's in your way, you could hit an asteroid or a comet before you could even see it."

Shego rephrased, "Oh, you mean that while traveling at relativistic speeds it's difficult to navigate between the stars without the possibility of colliding with a celestial object? Why didn't you just say so?"

Wade did a double-take, wondering if Shego was actually serious or just being sarcastic. He was about to respond when Kim jumped in. "Ok, so we need to chart our course exactly so we don't accidentally hit something. With my new powers, that makes me the navigator and Shego the pilot. But Wade, exactly where did that navigational array come from?"

"General Sims delivered it personally last night right after you left. He said that it was on loan from some, uh, friends who have a mutual interest in preventing the Lorwardians from taking over the galaxy."

Kim smirked, "These wouldn't be the same 'friends' that the General is studying at Area 51, would it?"

Wade grinned, "Could be, Kim."

Half in jest, she asked, "So, where are they from originally? Another arm of the Milky Way galaxy, perhaps?"

"Actually, they're from the Greater Magellanic Cloud. They left there when their home sun turned into a supernova. And they're more than happy to help! According to one of their ancient prophecies, they believe that they will be instrumental in aiding the 'Great Red' in rescuing an unstoppable simian from beyond the stars."

Kim's eyes shot wide open. "The Great Red?"

Shego winced. "Oh, puh-leeze! Now the _Princess_ is named in some kind of weird alien prophecy along with the Ronster? Why isn't there ever any mention of a 'Great Green,' for crying out loud?"

Kim giggled, "Watch out, Shego. You know what they say about being careful what you wish for."

Shego waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. But this sure looks like its turning into more than just a simple rescue mission. We might end up preventing some big bad alien nasties from taking over the galaxy, too."

Yori nodded. "I agree, Shego-chan. And I believe that time is of the essence."

Kim turned to her father with a sly look on her face. "So, Dad, when can we leave?"

Dr. P scratched the back of his neck and slowly said, "Well, that's a little problematic right now, Kim."

Kim looked perplexed. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, now that we've attached the Kepler III to the Lorwardian engine section and connected the plasma weapons to the singularity drive, it's all a single unit now. You won't be able to land the entire ship on the planet without burning up the Kepler, since we haven't had time to install the heat shielding yet. We'll either have to wait to install it, or else find another way to get you down to the planet once you're there."

Kim furrowed her brow in concentration. "Hmm. We'd need a shuttle of some type." Her eyes suddenly lit up as she hit upon a solution. "The SL Coupe would be perfect, Dad! I accidentally took it into space when I was chasing Motor Ed in the Kepler II that one time!"

Shego grimaced at the memory. "Oh, please, don't remind me. That was when he tried to use me as his 'hot babe accessory' on a cross-country hypersonic cruise."

She sighed and thought idly, "I wonder if those plasma burns I gave him have healed yet ..."

Kim laughed, "Well, just think Shego. We'll _both_ be giving some nice plasma burns to some well-deserving aliens pretty soon. So, Dad, would my car fit in the Kepler III cargo bay?"

Dr. P nodded. "It should."

"Spankin! Oh, and would you ask the Tweebs to check everything out and refuel the rockets? I ran out of fuel and had kind of a rough landing when I was being chased by that comet. Please and thank you?"

Dr. P smiled. "Nooo problem, Kimmie-cub. With luck, we might be ready for launch late this evening."

Wade then spoke up. "Uh, Kim, speaking of plasma weapons, I know that they're pretty powerful, but do you really think you can take on the entire Lorwardian fleet now in orbit? They're probably a lot more heavily armed, and it looks like they've got a pretty tight blockade up there."

Kim quickly agreed. "Good point, Wade. And I really don't want to take us into combat if we can possibly avoid it. We just need to blast through them as quickly as possible and head for Lorwardia." Another brainstorm then hit her.

A sly grin appeared on Kim's face. "By the way, Dad, does Justine Flanner work here now?"

"No, but she works close by. She's now the head of the particle physics lab at the Middleton Institute of Technology. And Professor Allenford's actually working for _her_ now, and loving it. So, what did you have in mind?"

Kim shot he father a devious look. "Oh, just a little science project she and I worked together on once ..."

* * *

Meanwhile, several messages were being sent to Lorwardia.

_Communiqué #1434:_

_Warmonga greets our great and exalted Warhafter!_

_Our glorious mission is a complete success: Warmonga has captured the candidates for the Great Blue and is now returning to the Lorwardian home world at best possible speed. Warfalkon has moved our invincible battle fleet into blockade formation around the planet Earth to await the final outcome of the Great Battle. Unfortunately I have briefly lost contact with our resplendent leader, no doubt due to the close proximity of a comet that Warmonga cleverly used to shield her approach to the pitiful human home planet. Warmonga will contact you personally upon arrival._

_All hail Warhafter!_

* * *

_Communiqué #1435:_

_Warmonga to Repair Facility 12:_

_Once I return from my glorious mission, Warmonga demands as highest priority that you remove the accursed Off Switch located in my war cruiser's engine room. It has developed the irritable tendency to shut off at the most inopportune times: once as I tried to escape the gravitational pull of a large planet and nearly ending in my destruction, and three times during the past standard time interval as well. I first suspected some kind of sabotage by my prisoners, but they remain securely bound in Warmonga's impervious brig. This frackled malfunction is totally unacceptable! Warmonga must have a fully functional ship, or I swear by the memory of Warhok that heads will roll!_

* * *

_Communiqué #1436:_

_Warmonga to Dr. Warcrusher:_

_Once Warmonga returns to our exalted home world, I request an immediate appointment. It appears I have picked up some kind of earthborn rash over my face, arms and legs. The itching is incredible, and nearly intolerable. I would much rather hear the non-stop blathering of my prisoners than suffer another moment of such torture. For your review, I am attaching an image of the oily three-leaved plant I discovered in my sleeping quarters, as Warmonga believes this to be the cause of this incredible annoyance ... _

* * *

_Now that the mystery of my prologue is now solved, the stage is set for one spankin_'_ rescue! But there are still a few more surprises in store for all of our heroes, so stay tuned for the next update! _

_MA_


	16. Launch

_A Happy New Year to all, and as a belated Christmas present, here's the next eagerly awaited installment. And as I've discovered a few minor errors in prior chapters, please forgive me if those of you on chapter alerts receive some postings for earlier chapters. And many thanks to all for reading and reviewing, as well as many personal comments and requests for further details: you're all real sharp and keep me on my toes. And now for the launch of the new Team Possible!_

* * *

"No, no, _no!_ If you shrink and expand yourself too quickly over too short a period of time, you'll totally wear yourself out!" Mego was growing rapidly frustrated with Kim as he tried to give her a few pointers on his particular power.

"Yes, but with her superior strength, she'll have no problem with that now that all her powers are ... Go-mingled!" Hego laughed heartily at his clever remark while Mego just rolled his eyes and mumbled angrily to himself.

"You always did like to lord your super-strength over the rest of us, Hego," Mego sneered. "But since it looks like Kim's got the same powers as we do now, I guess that she should be the new leader of Team Go, you big blue blowhard!"

Kim raised a hand to calm Mego down. "Thanks, Mego, but I'm not trying to take over Team Go. Hego's still in charge of the team as far as I'm concerned."

One of the Wegos then piped up. "So Cousin Kim, can we go with you on your mission?"

"Yeah," the other twin chimed in. "Just think of how much we could all help with the rescue!"

Kim just shook her head. "Sorry, guys. There's only enough room for three crew members on board the Kepler, and my dad says that the life support system can't handle much more than three anyway. Besides, we need you all here on Earth in case the aliens decide to mount a ground assault. For some reason, Team Go's powers seem to be unusually effective against the Lorwardians, if Shego's powers are any indication."

Kim started to make a connection. "It's almost as if someone knew what Earth would be facing, and sent some unusual help by granting us these powers." _But why Team Go twelve years ago? And why me now?_

Kim continued, "Wade, I still don't have a clue why that comet targeted me personally, but my wedding ring was obviously designed as a homing beacon. Could you scan it and tell me if there's anything unusual about it?"

"Sure thing, Kim." Wade pulled out his Kimmunicator, its blue ray performing a quick scan of her ring. He hoped that somehow a clue would be revealed that would enlighten them about the ongoing mystery.

"Well, there's definitely some unusual microcircuitry in there, Kim. And the color of the diamond is a clue too. This type of blue-white diamond has some unusual electrical properties: it's the only kind of diamond that acts like a superconductor. It would enhance any kind of radio waves, acting like a super radio transmitter."

Kim's jaw dropped open. "Whoa, you mean just like Ron's ring?"

Wade nodded. "Their functions are essentially the same, although they're doing it in different ways. Ron's ring is acting like a super low-frequency beacon, and yours is acting like an ultra high-frequency beacon. And what's really weird is, neither of them are being jammed by the Lorwardians. I don't know if that's by accident or design, but it's a big break for us."

Kim stroked her chin. "Curiouser and curiouser. So either Ron or Rufus seem to be the most likely culprits for these enhancements."

Kim turned to Yori. "Yori, is there any insight you can give us?"

"I will try, Kim-chan." Yori closed her eyes and appeared to concentrate deeply. She opened her eyes after a few moments, a look of puzzlement on her face.

"Part of Stoppable-sama's training included a merging of our consciousness. But there is nothing I learned at that time which tells me that he had any idea about the deeper purpose of either ring."

Kim nodded. "Well, those rings have given me both the ability to track Ron and the powers to rescue him and Drakken, so I'm not complaining. But if what you say is true, that leaves just one possibility: Rufus. So Yori, did you have any mind-merging sitches with our favorite naked mole rat?"

"Regretfully no, Kim-chan. I am very surprised that he was able to contact me at all in the way he did. But it was definitely Rufus-san. No doubt his exposure to Mystical Monkey Power has aided us in tracking them."

Wade added, "And he was the ring-bearer, Kim. He certainly would have had the opportunity to make any of the modifications we've seen."

Kim stroked her chin in thought. "So, it looks like he's the primary suspect in our little mystery. As soon as we rescue them all, we'll just all sit down for a friendly little chat."

Kim turned back to Yori. "By the way, Yori, you just called Ron 'Stoppable-sama' again instead of 'Stoppable-san' like you always have before. What's the diff?"

She smiled and answered, "It is an honorific signifying his mastery over all his powers, and the respect that he is due. It is not as high a title as 'Sensei,' but it is very high nevertheless."

Wade then said, "Well, Yori, now that Ron's a Monkey Master and Kim's our new Comet Girl, Kim and I both thought you might like to use this in the meantime." Wade pulled out a familiar blue and white costume and handed it to her. "Behold! The Battlesuit 3.0."

Yori's eyes widened with joy. "Domo, Wade-san! I shall wear it with honor." She smiled slyly as she asked, "Now, what are its abilities?"

Kim added, "And its upgrades, if I know Wade at all."

Wade beamed proudly as he began to explain. "The suit is primarily defensive. It has self-regenerative powers, so if the suit is damaged, it repairs itself. And if any plasma or energy bolts are used against you, you have the ability to catch them and return fire against your attacker. I've also improved the stealth mode and force shield abilities so that they can be used simultaneously."

He smiled as he revealed his latest upgrade. "In analyzing Kim's first encounter with Warmonga, I've also upgraded the shielding so that if an energy weapon is used, the suit's power source will be recharged. Capacitors in the suit will hold that energy for later use, so the suit is now self-sustaining. So the more energy that's used against the suit, the stronger it becomes. And after Dr. Dementor's attempt to electronically hijack the suit, I've also shielded its circuits to make the suit totally jam-proof."

Kim laughed, "Wade, as usual you totally rock. And if I didn't have these comet powers, I'd be so jellin' right now!"

Shego then walked into the lab, dressed back in her usual green and black catsuit and carrying a medium-sized box. She noticed that Yori now had Kim's supersuit, which immediately brought back several unpleasant memories. Memories of a stormy night, as well as an equally stormy battle.

_"You know what I really hate?"_

_"__That your date melted?"_

_"__Nah . . . you!"_

_Kim's incredibly hard kick, followed by a feeling of flying through the air. A terrific impact with an electrical tower, sending enough voltage through her body to give her first and second degree burns, as well as the frizziest perm her hair had ever had. If it weren't for her comet-granted recuperative powers, she might have died right then and there._

At that memory, a wave of hate and anger briefly coursed through her.

"Shego? You ok?" Kim's concerned voice brought her back into the present.

Shego shook her head to clear that particular reverie. "Sorry Kim, just an unpleasant memory." Now smiling, she held her box out to Kim. She quietly said, "Here's something I hope you'll like."

Kim opened the box. Inside was a bodysuit of familiar design and pattern. Identical in form with Shego's outfit, it had one major difference: the colors were now green, red, blue and purple. Each color was outlined with a thin black line, but the design was still in Shego's classic harlequin pattern. Kim was speechless, overwhelmed by the thought and the effort that must have gone into its creation.

Shego smiled. "Team Go's colors: it's the new black, Kimmie. And it's a hell of a lot more stylish than your old mission outfit."

"But I liked my old mission clothes," Kim cooed. "But these, I _love!_"

"Good," Shego smirked. "I nearly had to threaten Coco Banana with bodily harm in order to get it finished right away." Her voice softened. "Consider it a wedding gift from all of the members of Team Go, both current _and _former."

Kim beamed with delight. "Thanks everyone. I'll wear it with pride. And I'm sure if Ron were here he'd say something Zen-ish, like, '_All the colors will beautifully work together, blending into the unity of our singleness of purpose,_' or something like that."

Everyone laughed as Kim and Yori left to don their new outfits. After a few minutes, everyone returned to the lab for the final briefing.

Wade began, "Ok, everybody. Warmonga has a big head start at the moment, and we still don't know exactly where Lorwardia is. I've been able to track Ron's signal as far as Pluto's remnants, but once Warmonga activated her faster-than-light drive, the signal dropped off significantly."

Kim asked hesitantly, "But we can still track it, can't we?"

He slowly shook his head. "Well, not at the moment, since radio waves can't travel faster than the speed of light."

Kim suggested, "Can't we track their ion trail or something like that?"

Wade replied with an edge of sarcasm, "Well, only if this were an episode of _Space Passage_, Kim. But once you activate your own singularity drive, I theorize that you'll be able to pick up a much stronger signal from him."

Shego frowned. "You _theorize?_ That doesn't sound too hopeful."

"Well, once you get to Pluto, you can try to pick up their trail and make your final calculations before increasing to hyperlght velocities."

Shego complained, "Why wait? Can't we just activate the singularity drive now and see if we can't pick up the signal right away?"

Wade answered, "Not a good idea, Shego. Between the gravitational pull of the sun, the moon and planets, plus all the asteroids in between, that would be too dangerous. And if you flew too close the brightest star in the night sky, it would be ... a _Sirius _mistake!" Wade guffawed, "You would really have to _planet_ carefully!"

Shego and Kim each fired up one hand in warning in response to Wade's terrible puns.

Wade backed off immediately. "Whoa guys, just a little joke! Gee, and Professor Chen thought they were hilarious ..."

Kim crossed her arms and smirked, "So I guess when trying to get to Lorwardia, do as the Lorwardians do?"

Wade nodded. "That's about the size of it, Kim."

Shego shook her head doubtfully. "I don't know about this, Kimmie. I'm sure I can pilot this thing, and I'm sure you can navigate for us once we know where in the galaxy we're going, but not knowing for sure exactly where in the hell Lorwardia is in the first place doesn't fill me with warm fuzzy feelings."

She turned to Yori. "Hey, Ninja Girl, do you think you can dial up your psychic hotline to our abductees for some help?"

Yori chafed a bit at Shego's disrespectful tone but kept a steady face. "I am sorry, Shego-chan, but even if I could, without a mutual point of reference familiar to both Stoppable-sama and ourselves, I do not believe that they can be of much help."

Wade weighed in, "And our alien friends at Area 51 originally came from the totally opposite direction from where you're headed. Their exploration of our galaxy hasn't gotten much further than our own local group of star systems, so they have no idea either."

Shego observed, "Well, there's a hundred enemy spacecraft right over our heads that know exactly where Lorwardia is, but I'm sure that we can't just walk up to them and ask, 'Hey, excuse me, but where's your home planet?' "

The look on Kim's face revealed that Shego had just given her a brainstorm. "But why not? We just need to do it in the right way ..."

"Oh, and Shego, make that ninety-seven spacecraft," Wade corrected. "Three of those battlecruisers were taken out by Kim's comet."

"Really?" Kim brightened up. "Well, I think I have just the ticket on how to get some intel on the location of a certain alien planet." She turned to Wade. "First, if I shrunk myself down in size enough, would Yori's battlesuit be able to cloak both of us, and would its shield protect us from the vacuum of space?"

Wade nodded. "Yes to both questions, Kim. What's you're idea?"

"I'm thinking that once we get in orbit, we'll just make a little house call to one of our alien friends up there. But first I need to make a quick trip to ask for a special favor from an old classmate of mine ..."

* * *

Kim returned a few hours later in a wonderful mood. She had just met with Justine Flanner, her former high school lab partner, and had begun by congratulating her both on her PhD as well as her new job as head of the particle physics R&D department at the Middleton Institute of Technology.

After Kim explained the sitch, Justine had assured her that her idea concerning the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor would not only work, but a full scale device had already been rushed to completion after the first Lorwardian invasion and would just fit into the rear of the Kepler III cargo bay. Kim had half-joked that if Drakken and Shego hadn't already reformed, the device would have become a prime target for another one of their take-over-the-world schemes. Ironically, she'd now be using it with Shego's help as part of their efforts to save the world instead.

Kim watched as the crane swung her newly repaired and upgraded SL Coupe 3.0 into the forward cargo bay of the Kepler III rocket. The Tweebs had assured her that everything was fueled and ready to go, and that the wheels and tires were now completely repaired and able to withstand the rigors of the hard cold vacuum of space. Not only that, but the parts had arrived the day before for its conversion into a four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle, which she might need depending on the terrain she found on Lorwardia. They also hinted at some unspecified upgrades to the life-support system and cargo capacity, but quickly hushed up when Mr. Dr. P arrived.

"Well, Kimmie, once we finish installing Justine's Continuum Disruptor in the rear cargo bay and connect it to the engine for power, you'll be all set. T-minus two hours, and then, _rockets are go!_"

Kim winced slightly at the sci-fi tagline, having been force-fed all those Captain Constellation episodes the year before. Shego and Yori walked up as they all stared at the brightly lit gantry. The huge Kinematic Continuum Disruptor was finally being loaded onboard. Crawling with technicians, the Kepler III was a hive of frenetic activity as final launch preparations were being made.

Kim turned to her father and asked, "Any last minute advice, Dad?"

Dr. P turned to the young women upon whom the fate of the world now depended. "Well, you all know that I don't approve of violence, but they _are_ evil aliens, so, _you go girls!_"

Kim laughed lightly in response. "We will, Dad. And in honor of Ron, I'm christening our new spacecraft the Kepler Eye-Eye-Eye."

Dr. P looked a little perplexed.

"It's an in-joke, Dad. Ron will love it once I tell him." She thought to herself, _"__And I will tell him, face to face. We're coming for you Ron, just hold on ..."_

* * *

At that very moment, Ron was munching on some indescribable item which Warmonga claimed passed for food on her world. A robotic arm was holding the repulsive-looking item so that Ron's bindings wouldn't need to be removed. Although the food looked disgusting, it actually did taste just like chicken. He mumbled to himself, "Just as long as I'm not breaking any Jewish dietary laws, I should be ok."

Drakken looked up from his own force-fed meal when he heard Ron talking. "Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing Dr. D, just commenting on our unusual snackage. Boy, but what I wouldn't give for a Naco right about now. If I end up being the Great Blue, my first act as the supreme ruler of Lorwardia will be to open a planet-wide chain of Bueno Nachos!"

Drakken suddenly looked even more uncomfortable than he probably already was. Ron immediately realized that becoming the official Great Blue would probably also spell Drakken's untimely death. He quickly corrected himself. "Uh, but I'm sure I won't get that chance. Somehow, we've got to avoid battling each other and work together to defeat these goons, and give Kim and Shego enough time to find us."

"Great idea, but I'm kind of tied up at the moment," Drakken sneered as he struggled uselessly against his bindings. "And how will they even know where to look for us? We don't even know where we are ourselves, since we can't see through these walls."

Ron brightened up. "That's where the power of imagination comes in Dr. D! And you've just given me an idea. _We_ can't see through these walls, but Warmonga knows _exactly _where we are!"

Drakken sarcastically replied, "Well, isn't that nice? And just how is that supposed to help us? I can't just say, 'Hey, Warmonga, girl, where exactly in space are we now,' can I?"

A self-confident grin appeared on Ron's face. "Just give me a moment and I'll let you know."

Ron concentrated for a few seconds, reaching out with his mind. He sensed Warmonga almost immediately, and began to carefully enter her mind, trying to see through her eyes. Dead ahead was a large star cluster filled with hot blue-white stars. A luminous nebula could be seen around the seven largest stars, adding to the brilliant effect. He also began to sense an incredible irritation over his entire body.

Ron yelled, "Aaah! The itching! Make it stop! Make it stop!" He immediately broke the connection with Warmonga's mind. As soon as he did so, the itching ceased.

Ron exhaled in relief. "Well, Dr. D, your poison ivy sure did the trick. Warmonga's itching like crazy!"

With his usual perplexed look, Drakken responded, "Yes, uh, well then. That's nice to know, but how in the world did you discover that?"

Ron grinned and said under his breath, "Mystical Monkey Power. And I know exactly where we're headed. All I need to do now is take a little trip back to Earth on the astral plane ..."

Drakken was now even more confused. "An astral plane? Uh, by chance can it seat us both?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "No, no, it's not an _airplane_, it's a different level of existence beyond space and time. But all I need to do is close my eyes, concentrate, project my spirit onto the path, and ..."

A wave of nausea hit Ron like a ton of bricks as he was suddenly disoriented by a fantastic vision of swirling stars, nebulas and galaxies of every conceivable color and variety. The expected astral path looked every bit like a white carpet being unrolled and shaken violently up and down, an unfortunate side effect of their current faster-than-light velocity.

Ron quickly halted his attempt. "Whoa! That would be so cool if it weren't going to make me toss my cookies! I guess since we're traveling faster than light, my plan to contact Kim will have to wait. But when I do, she'll know _exactly _where to find us!"

* * *

Back on Earth, all was finally prepared. The Kepler Eye-Eye-Eye was fully fueled and loaded. The final countdown had begun at last, and the new Team Possible was strapped tightly in their seats as the final seconds ticked down towards the launch of their desperate mission across the stars.

A voice from the control tower echoed across the launch pad.

"10 … 9 … 8 … Ignition sequence started … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … _Liftoff!_"

With a mighty roar, the rockets flared into life. The massive engines spewed out huge tongues of flame, lighting up the predawn landscape with a white-hot incandescence. The spacecraft slowly lifted off the pad, gradually gaining altitude as it increased speed. Kim, Shego and Yori were forced back into their seats by the steadily increasing crush of acceleration.

Dr. P looked at the magnificent takeoff, silently wishing them all the luck in the world. _"__Hmm. Too bad the boys missed the takeoff. Well, they're probably back home watching from their computer with a bird's eye view of the launch."_

Several minutes later they attained orbit around the Earth. As per their plan, Shego shut down the engines and adjusted the attitude thrusters to place the ship in a slow roll, then gently affected the pitch and yaw as well. The ship now gave every indication of being a derelict, drifting seemingly out of control in orbit around the Earth. Hopefully, the Lorwardians would be duped into thinking it was the remains of one of the ships crippled by the passage of Comet Ramesh-Chen.

Kim spoke. "Ok, we're counting on them underestimating our true abilities. Overconfidence on their part seems to be their usual sitch, so this should be no big."

Yori warned, "Just as long as we do not overestimate our own abilities, Kim-chan."

"Ninja Girl is right," Shego agreed. "We're strong, but we sure can't take them on all at once. And are you really sure you don't want me along on this little excursion? As a former thief, I'm kinda known for my stealth, ya know."

Kim shook her head. "I know that, Shego, and I'm not dissing your abilities. But we need someone on this ship in case anything goes wrong, and you're the best pilot. Between my shrinkage and Yori's stealth mode, we should be fine."

Shego frowned. "Super, but I'll keep our plasma cannon locked on their weapons systems just in case."

Kim tried to sound reassuring. "Please and thank you, Shego."

Shego winced at Kim's catch phrase. She wasn't happy about being left behind, but there was a certain logic to Kim's plan. It was just reminding her a little too much of some of Team Go's adventures that had gone awry in the past, with an overconfident Hego calling the shots.

The nearest Lorwardian ship loomed before them.

"Ok, Shego, we're approaching one of their ships. Yori and I will attempt to enter through one of their airlocks. If the design is the same as Warhok's ship, I know exactly where to look. Yori, once we're inside we'll make our way to their bridge, and either use their equipment to discover Lorwardia's spatial coordinates or else grab whatever maps we can find that might help us. We'll transmit any updates to you on the Kimmunicator's ultra-low band frequency and rendezvous back with you here in one hour. With luck, they won't even know that we were there."

As Kim and Yori entered the airlock, Shego locked the Kepler's plasma cannon on the opposing ship's formidable weapons array. "Good luck, you two." She silently suspected they would need all the help they could get.

Kim shrunk herself to about five inches high and perched herself on Yori's shoulder, not unlike how Rufus had done in the past on Ron's shoulder. Kim smiled at the irony.

"Ok, Yori. Activate force shield and stealth mode." With a touch of a button on her wrist followed by a brief hum, the field activated and encased them both in an invisible bubble, impermeable to the vacuum of space.

Yori whispered, "But Kim-chan, how will we move ourselves toward the other ship?"

Kim smiled and replied, "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, Yori." She placed one gloved hand through the shield, and with a short plasma burst propelled them toward the Lorwardian battle cruiser. She silently thought, _"Thanks for teaching me about Newton's Third Law of Motion, Mr. Barkin. I'm sure glad that I didn't have to skip class for a mission on that particular day ..." _

Kim concentrated intensely, using her enhanced vision. "Ok, Yori, I've spotted the airlock on their ship, just where it was on Warhok's spacecraft."

She used another plasma burst to slow their approach, and they soon landed gently on the outer hull of the Lorwardian battlecruiser. Kim had been prepared to use her plasma power like an acetylene torch to burn through the alien's hull, but found a convenient handle to the airlock hatch instead.

"Spankin! Yori, if you'll do the honors?"

Yori twisted the handle and opened the airlock with ease, and in another moment they were inside. Kim brought up a map of the interior of the ship on her Kimmunicator, compiled from the data she had obtained from Warhok's ship.

"Ok, assuming this ship has the same design, we need to follow the corridor that's just past this door, which should lead us right to the bridge."

Yori opened the inside door of the airlock. They immediately came face to face with two very large and very fierce-looking Lorwardian guards.

Kim muttered, "Uh, oh ..."

* * *

_Has Kim fallen prey to the same overconfidence of the Lorwardians, or will Kim and Yori pull off yet another successful mini-mission? Stay tuned for the next episode! _


	17. First Blood

_First off, apologies for posting as infrequently as I have been, but as I've been cast as as one of the leads in a musical (booyah!), that's cut into my writing time a bit. But Captain Kim and the crew of the Kepler Aye-Yi-Yi are still uppermost in mind, so I'll post whenever possible. So without further ado ... _

* * *

The Lorwardian guards were both in a very foul mood.

"Battlefox, I cannot believe that warriors of our rank and ability have been ordered to guard an _airlock_ of all things. The humans are far too weak and primitive to even _think_ about attacking us in such a way."

The other Lorwardian disagreed. "Stop your griping, Wolfenstrike. Two of those _primitive_ humans happen to have defeated Warmonga and killed Warhok as well. Besides, we should thank Warhafter that we even continue to exist after nearly being vaporized by that comet. We still have a chance to fight and perhaps die in glorious combat, instead of being dishonorably annihilated by a pitiful frozen ball of ice and dust."

"True, but Warfalkon should have seen that comet coming." Wolfenstrike laughed sardonically. "He'll go down in the annals of our glorious history as the conqueror of Earth, but who was destroyed by a galactic snowball! Such an ignominious epitaph!"

He continued with an evil grin. "However, it does allow our ship to advance to a higher rank."

Battlefox warned, "True, but we need to be on our guard lest we suffer a similar fate."

Wolfenstrike sneered, "Don't worry, we'll get our 15 xarlacks of fame as long as we're prepared for it."

At that moment, the airlock opened all by itself. Both guards peered into the apparently vacant compartment. A tiny '_uh, oh_' could barely be heard.

"What was that, Wolfenstrike?"

Wolfenstrike simply shrugged. "What? I didn't say anything."

They both continued to peer into the obviously empty airlock.

Battlefox cursed, "Frackled door! Well, there you have it. Had we not been here, this malfunction might have caused serious damage to our ship."

Wolfenstrike agreed. "Yes, and we'd be blamed for it. Well, we better contact Tech Repair and have them send a repair drone up to fix it."

But no sooner had he tapped his comm link than a small glowing purple hand appeared out of nowhere, a tiny finger giving a quick flick to his forehead. However, the power behind that flick was strong enough to propel him backwards into the bulkhead, knocking him out cold.

Battlefox jumped back in surprise. "What in name of Warhafter?"

He immediately realized something was seriously wrong, but didn't react quickly enough to avoid a much larger plasma-covered fist connecting with his jaw. Attached to that fist was a young redhead who had apparently appeared out of thin air, her costume glowing blue in response to the use of her super strength. Battlefox quickly joined his fellow shipmate on the deck in total unconsciousness.

Kim exhaled in relief. "Sorry, Yori. I forgot that when the battlesuit's cloaking shield is up they can't see us even though we can see them. I promise to keep my voice down in the future." Kim shook her head. "And after all the times I've bawled Ron out for doing the same thing ..."

Yori smiled. "Do not worry, Kim-chan. It is how you say, 'no big.' But we must make haste before guards awaken."

With a purple flash, Kim again shrunk and perched herself back on Yori's shoulder. Yori reactivated her invisibility shield as she hurried down the corridor toward the ship's bridge. Fortunately the passageway was designed for nine-foot tall Lorwardians, so they easily slipped by the few crewmembers they encountered. Kim quietly checked her Kimmunicator to verify their location.

Kim whispered, "Ok, Yori, the bridge is right through this door."

The door hissed open, revealing a bridge in chaos. Alert lights were flashing as one of the Lorwardians spoke.

"Commander! Main power has finally been restored, but weapons are still offline. When that frackling comet passed by us, it fused all of our plasma couplings. We're doing what we can, but we'll need a refit on Lorwardia before full offensive capacity can be restored."

The Commander sarcastically growled, "Thank you for that _wonderful_ news, Wartech. If you expect to survive our return home in one piece, I suggest that you repair our weapons long _before_ we return to Lorwardia!"

"Yes, sir! At once, sir!" The frightened technician quickly left the bridge to continue overseeing the repairs.

Kim stifled a laugh and whispered in Yori's ear, "Apparently that comet helped us in more ways than one."

The Commander sighed loudly as he considered his next move. "Well, although we've suffered serious damage from that blasted comet, at least we weren't damaged as badly as that ship out there."

He looked out of the forward viewport at the Kepler III as it slowly drifted by, masquerading as a crippled Lorwardian ship. The Commander frowned and turned to the navigator. "Helmsman, prepare to break orbit. Set course for the outskirts of this star system, then home to Lorwardia."

Yori froze in place as Kim's eye's shot wide open in fear. If the ship began heading back to Lorwardia, they'd both be left stranded on board, and the battlesuit's power certainly would fade long before the trip was over. Shego would need to follow them, which would almost certainly mean blowing their cover and risking discovery. Kim thought quickly. She tapped Yori on the shoulder and pointed at a data port on the helmsman's console. Yori edged closer to the console while Kim frantically texted Wade on her Kimmunicator. Wade silently appeared on her screen and smiled, giving her a thumbs-up signal indicating that he had understood her request.

A slender flexible metal arm snaked its way out of the Kimmunicator and unobtrusively plugged itself into the data port. A few seconds later it disconnected, a now beaming Wade quietly giving her another thumbs up indicating success.

The helmsman looked perplexed as he continued to adjust his controls.

"Commander, we have another malfunction, this time in navigation. Controls appear to be locked out."

The Commander swore under his breath. "Get that technician back up here on the double! Comet or not, these malfunctions are totally unacceptable and must stop _immediately!_"

Kim could barely contain her laughter as she listened to the Commander's impotent blustering. He sounded almost like a huge Mr. Barkin in one of his foulest moods.

She turned her attention back to the Kimmunicator. As a bonus, it was now displaying the spatial coordinates of the star cluster containing the Lorwardian star system. Kim and Yori smiled happily at each other. But before Kim could zero in on Lorwardia's exact location, the bridge door suddenly opened and the tech ran back onto the bridge at full tilt. With a bright flash, he collided with Yori's cloaking screen, bouncing off of it and into the wall.

The Commander yelled, "What the frackle? Intruder alert! Sound the alarm!"

Klaxons began blaring the warning throughout the ship. Kim lost no time in resuming her normal size. Popping through Yori's shield, she immediately launched herself at the Commander. Her fist now glowing blue-green with both plasma power and super strength, Kim clobbered the Commander with one terrific punch. Knocked out cold, he slid out of his chair and onto the deck.

With a yell, Yori quickly dispatched the tech with a flying kick so powerful that it left his imprint in the metal bulkhead behind him. Kim swiftly took out the rest of the bridge crew with several more powerful plasma blasts.

Barely winded, Kim was amazed at how quickly they had won the encounter. Pumped up by her adrenaline rush, she exclaimed, "Spankin! Now I know how Shego feels when she fights!" With one more potent strike of her fist, she smashed the control panel into scrap metal.

"Ok, Yori! That should prevent them from pursuing us for the moment. Back to the airlock. We haven't a moment to lose!"

Kim and Yori dashed back down the hall, easily brushing aside the few surprised Lorwardians who unsuccessfully tried to stop them. Battlefox and Wolfenstrike had regained consciousness and were unsteadily getting to their feet, each rubbing their injured heads. As Kim and Yori came charging around the corner, they both looked up a moment too late as a terrific flying kick from Yori plus Kim's shimmering blue-green fist once again belted them back into unconsciousness.

As soon as Yori activated her shields, Kim punched the airlock button and swiftly launched them both back toward the Kepler III. She quickly activated her Kimmunicator.

Breathlessly she reported, "Shego, we're on our way back. We were successful, but we were spotted, so be ready to blast out of here as soon as were back on board."

Shego shook her head and thought to herself, "_Oh, brother. Shades of Hego ..._"

Out loud she chided, "Nice going, Princess. I warned you it wouldn't be as easy as you thought."

Yori cocked an eyebrow at Kim. "Princess?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Long story, Yori. I'll explain later."

Shego continued, "Shall I take out their weapons in the meantime, Kimmie?"

"That won't be necessary. Their weapons are off line because of the comet. But that may not apply to every ship up here, so be prepared just in case."

As soon as Kim and Yori were safely back on board, Shego immediately corrected the ship's drifting motion and fired the rockets at maximum thrust, setting course directly for what was left of Pluto.

Shego smirked, "So what happened, Captain Kimmie?"

Kim shrugged. "Just a case of ferociously bad timing when a Lorwardian fix-it guy ran into Yori's invisibility screen, blowing our cover. But we got what we came for: the coordinates of the Lorwardian star system!"

A warning light appeared on Shego's control panel. "Uh, oh," she warned. "Looks like we've got company."

The rear viewscreen revealed that three Lorwardian battlecruisers had changed course and were now in hot pursuit. Their weapons arrays were obviously in perfect working order, as blue-white arcs of malevolent energy crackled between the plasma dischargers. The weapons would be ready to fire in moments.

Kim frowned. "Looks like they're gaining on us. Can we go any faster?"

Shego shot her a dirty look. "Not unless you get out and push, Cupcake."

Kim ignored the jab. With a look of wicked anticipation on her face she announced, "Well, I guess now's the perfect time to find out just how freaky Justine's secret weapon is."

Kim flipped a switch, and the rear cargo bay door slowly began opening. She pushed a large control lever forward and the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor began to deploy, its huge dish and focusing ring extending fully and locking into place. With another adjustment of the controls, the massive weapon swung around and now faced toward the rear of the Kepler III. Peering through the targeting scanner, she locked the crosshairs on the leading ship.

"Ok everybody, here goes ..."

She hit the firing button. A large hum began vibrating through the ship, rapidly increasing in volume and intensity. A powerful ray of green energy shot out from the weapon, forming a huge green ring in space. Within the ring swirled a pulsating field of deep blue energy. Collision alarms went off in the leading enemy ship as it was inexorably drawn into the huge rip in the fabric of space, unable to escape the incredible gravity that the energy field was generating. The Lorwardian battlecruiser was sucked into the roiling whirlpool of gravimetric force and disappeared in a brilliant white flash, now trapped forever within an unknown fold of the space-time continuum.

Kim was absolutely ecstatic. "Woo-hoo! Justine's disruptor rocks _big time!_"

Shego was less so. "Great. That's one down and only ninety-six more to go."

While Shego continued to accelerate, Yori kept watch on the rear viewscreen. Ever calm in the face of danger, she coolly observed, "Kim-chan, the other two ships are continuing to close the range with us. They will open fire at any moment."

Kim desperately tried to target the next ship. "Shego, faster, please and thank you! Push it to the max!"

Shego snorted, "What, you expect me to say something like 'if I push these engines too hard we'll blow apart?' Geez Louise, Kimmie, but you've been hanging around Nerdlinger _way_ too long!"

The second ship now targeted, Kim again punched the firing button. Once again, the battlecruiser was sucked into the vortex, but not before firing a salvo of plasma bolts at the Kepler III.

Yori's eyes widened. "Incoming, Shego-chan. Evasive maneuvers please, before ..."

Yori's sentence was cut short by a deafening explosion as a plasma bolt struck the Lorwardian portion of the Kepler III.

Kim yelled, "Shego! Damage report!"

Shego shrugged in reply, "Uh, sorry, Kim. We don't have any sensors to indicate what kind of damage was done to that Lorwardian bucket of bolts we're strapped on top of. Someone will have to go out and take a look. But we're continuing to accelerate, so at least we know the engine is still in one piece."

Kim huffed, "I'll have to go out and take a look, but first I've got to take care of that third battlecruiser."

She targeted the remaining Lorwardian ship and once again pressed the firing button. But this time, nothing happened.

"Uh, oh. Not good."

Kim checked the systems. "The disruptor seems ok, but I've lost all power to it. That hit we just received must have knocked something out. Sorry, Shego. Looks like we may need to use our own plasma disruptors after all."

Just then, the third battlecruiser began to turn away. With the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor still pointed right at them, the Lorwardian ship wasn't willing to tempt fate and was reversing course just as fast as possible. Kim breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good news, it looks like they've had enough for the moment."

Yori confirmed Kim's report. "Yes, Kim-chan. He is turning away, and no other ships are pursuing."

Kim grinned. "Then we've won the first round. Good job, everybody!"

Yori smiled in return, but Shego still sounded non-plussed. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves until we figure out what kind of damage we've gotten." She offered a wan smile. "But at least we seriously kicked some Lorwardian butt in the meantime. So, Comet Girl, any estimate on how long till we reach the edge of the solar system?"

Kim closed her eyes, feeling the speed and acceleration of the ship. She opened her eyes and looked out of the viewport, focusing her enhanced spatial abilities in the direction of what remained of Pluto.

"Hmm. Assuming we don't meet with any further Lorwardian interference, I estimate just over 20 hours. In the meantime, Yori, how about another little space walk to check out the damage?"

Yori smiled and bowed slightly as they walked toward the airlock. "It would be my honor, Kim-chan."

As they prepared to leave the ship, Shego again became lost in her own thoughts. She was concerned about Ron and Dr. D's impending battle, and silently hoped that Dr. D was still ok. She longed to see him again, preferably in one piece. But as much as she loved him and respected his new abilities, she harbored no illusions on what the probable outcome of any battle would be between him and Ron. She began to sink deeper into a dark mood as she heard Kim and Yori close the airlock behind them.

* * *

Nearly home, Warmonga's ship dropped to sublight speed near the edge of star system 27 Tauri in the Pleiades, a cluster of hot, blue-white stars over 400 light-years from Earth. Around this star, known on Earth as Atlas, orbited the ancient world of Lorwardia. Nearly twice the diameter of Earth, it was a hot and arid planet, and almost inhospitable for sentient life. Survival here had never been easy for its inhabitants, and ultimately would give rise to the Lorwardian's warlike nature. Eventually exhausted of their own natural resources through warfare between rival clans, they were forced to unite and search far beyond their own world in order to supply themselves with the food and technology necessary for their continued survival.

Taygeta, the last inhabited star system in the Pleiades to be invaded and stripped of its resources, had been despoiled over a century before. On this particular world, however, its inhabitants had discovered the secret of faster-than-light space travel. Although its incredibly advanced society was scientifically oriented, its culture was deeply pacifistic in nature. Sadly, they were no match for the Lorwardians when they attacked, and were easily defeated and forcibly annexed into the greater Lorwardian Star Empire. But not before a few ships manned by their most brilliant scientists escaped to colonize a new world far from the Lorwardians, in the hope of one day returning to reclaim their world.

Aided significantly by their ill-gotten technological bonanza, over the next century the Lorwardians were able to conquer every habitable world within 100 parsecs of their home planet. But the same magnificent physical characteristics that made them so formidable in combat also began to work against them. Their incredibly high metabolism made their frequent need of food and caloric intake an absolute imperative, making them dependant on constant expansion to feed their own hungry masses. The saying, 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall' was completely apropos here, and was truly the Achilles heel of the entire Lorwardian race.

With the captured technology of a thousand worlds, they built huge spacecraft able to be manned by small crews, filled with battle droids that could quickly take over a planet. Leaving the warbots behind, the now empty ships would be crammed full of captured foodstuffs and new technology to be transported back to Lorwardia. But it soon became a vicious cycle, forcing them to conquer ever-newer worlds for the resources that they might provide. The dismal alternative was that the Lorwardian race might starve and eventually die out, a victim both of their own physical enormity and the vast distances of space between the outposts of their far-flung empire.

War was all the Lorwardians had ever known, so war was naturally their remedy to any problem. The solution they chose was to rapidly conquer the known galaxy and develop enough interstellar transportation to supply their own people with enough nourishment to survive. Their religious leaders helped by creating the mythos of a powerful being who would lead them in total galactic conquest. Blue was naturally chosen as the color for this supreme warlord, honoring the bluish hues of the nine largest stars in the Pleiades cluster, the most powerful natural forces that they had ever known. By his very nature, this Great Blue would need to come from another world yet to be discovered, in order to further justify their ever-increasing galactic expansion. Smaller individually-manned scoutcraft were sent out beyond the farthest reaches of the Lorwardian Star Empire in order to reconnoiter both for new worlds to conquer as well as search for the mythical Great Blue.

Warmonga was one of the vanguards of these missions. Having been advanced in rank after her victory over the thirteen moons of Jingos, she had first discovered Earth through their radio and television transmissions, and was overjoyed when she discovered Dr. Drakken on a TV commercial, hawking his brainwashing shampoo and cranium rinse. Convinced that he was the Great Blue, she threw all caution aside and allowed herself to be misled, discovering only too late that she'd been tricked by the opportunistic Dr. Drakken. To add insult to injury, Jim and Tim masqueraded as the Great Blue in order to help rescue Kim from Warmonga's clutches, sending her on a wild goose chase to Pluto.

Infuriated by this subterfuge, she and her battlemate Warhok returned to Earth eight months later in order to exact sweet and total revenge against the planet Earth and all its inhabitants, especially Kim and Dr. Drakken. This time however, they were thwarted both by Ron Stoppable, imbued by his incredible Mystical Monkey Power, and Dr. Drakken, now mutated by yet another take-over-the-world scheme gone horribly and hilariously wrong. Humiliated both by her defeat and the death of her battlemate, she had been given one last chance at redemption by none other than Warhafter himself, Supreme Overlord of Lorwardia. He commanded her to return to Earth for a very special mission: abduct Ron Stoppable and Dr. Drakken, and return them alive to Lorwardia, or else die trying.

And now, Warmonga had successfully kidnapped these two likely candidates for the mantle of the Great Blue. Swelled with pride, she would be returning home shortly to a grateful planet, tremendous accolades, and hopefully some salve for her incredibly itchy skin.

Ron immediately sensed that they had dropped to sublight speed, and once again carefully tried to peer through Warmonga's eyes to get a fix on their present location. However, all he was able to notice was a single very distant blue-white star, shining brightly within a glowing, sapphire-colored nebula. Warmonga's incredible itching forced him to quickly discontinue the exploration of his environs.

Just then, Rufus scampered up, quietly chattering away.

Ron cheerfully whispered, "Hey, Rufus! How's it goin', little buddy?"

Rufus pantomimed being a worker with an acetylene torch trying to weld something.

Ron quickly caught on. "Uh, oh. Warmonga fused the Off Switch? Oh, Fuji. So no more sabotage, huh?"

Rufus nodded quickly in acknowledgement.

"Well, now that we're out of lightspeed, I guess it's time for me to try and contact Kim."

Ron closed his eyes and concentrated on envisioning the astral plane. In a moment he had located the mystical path, leading all the way back to Earth in the direction they had all just traveled from. He quickly began his journey, but soon realized that although there was a now a clear, smooth path now, it would still be an extremely long trip. Farther and farther he traveled back to Earth, over 440 light years distant, as he sought the most important person to him in the entire universe: Kim Possible.

As fast as the stars and nebulas were flashing by him, he realized that his speed was still insufficent for the task at hand.

"Whoa! This might take a while."

He wondered how he might increase his velocity when he began thinking of Kim, the memory of her beautiful face beckoning to him. Suddenly his speed increased tenfold. "Ooh, coolio! Kim, here I come!"

* * *

Kim and Yori had each donned their own spacesuits in order to individually cover more area as they began exploring the ship for damage. They soon discovered a long scorch mark where the ship had been hit, ending in a large ugly gash deep into the hull. It was immediately apparent why the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor had stopped working: the cable connecting the disruptor to its power source had been totally severed by the blast. Fortunately the hull itself hadn't been compromised, but without the disruptor, Team Possible would have a difficult time defending themselves from any further attacks.

Kim anxiously toggled the comm link on her spacesuit. "Shego, we've found the problem. There's about four feet of power cable that was vaporized by the blast. Unless we can reconnect it with something, the disruptor will be useless, which would be ferociously bad. Any ideas?"

Shego quickly responded, "Yeah. How about your new getup? That material will conduct as much electrical energy as you need."

Kim could hear the snicker in Shego's voice as she continued. "Of course, that would mean completing the rest of our mission in your underwear, but sacrifices sometimes have to be made, Kimmie." Shego burst out laughing.

Even within her spacesuit, Kim could feel herself blushing at Shego's remark. But she smiled when she realized that she wouldn't need to continue their trip _au naturel_.

"No big, Shego. Good thing I brought along my old mission outfit for a change of clothes." Kim giggled, "And no need to give Ron any more of a thrill than necessary when I see him again."

The thought of seeing Ron again gave her more than just a little thrill herself as she and Yori reentered the ship.

Within a few hours, Kim had recovered enough copper plating from some of the ship's non-essential equipment to serve as a connector between her new Team Go-style outfit and the damaged power cables. Shego showed her how to use her new plasma ability in a tightly focused beam in order to weld the connections, and together they quickly completed the repairs.

As they both floated outside the ship, Kim switched on her comm link. "That ought to do it, Shego. Thanks for your help. I never knew how many different ways your powers could be used."

"Yeah, and there's still a lot more you don't know." _About me, my powers, and my brothers_, Shego thought. "But it looks like you'll be getting the chance to learn," she continued. _And hopefully we'll both be able to save the ones we love. But what if push comes to shove, and a choice of who to save has to be made between the two of them? We'll just have to __wait and see ..._

Kim sighed. "Yup, and I'm more than willing to learn everything you can teach me, Shego. It's just a shame I didn't get to wear your gift longer, but it'll still serve a good purpose."

With the repairs now complete, Kim and Shego were both safely back on board the Kepler III. A few quick tests confirmed that the disruptor was once again fully operational.

Kim announced, "Well, it's been a great start for our new team, and we've all risen to the challenge. But we should all get some rest before we make our jump to lightspeed and the next leg of our journey."

Shego bit her tongue. _She sounds so much like Hego, I could just throw up. But cousin or not, I've got to rescue Dr. D, no matter what ..._

But as she continued her pep talk, Kim suddenly felt a warm presence. It was like a wonderful memory, although much stronger and much more vivid. She gasped as she realized what its source was.

A ghostly image formed, floating eerily before her. This time, however, it wasn't the image of Sensei, but the image of the newest Mystical Monkey Master and her erstwhile fiancé, Ron Stoppable. In his unerring quest from hundreds of light years away, he had sought out and found his one true love.

"Ron!" Kim gasped. Shego and Yori were also both surprised and relieved by Ron's sudden appearance.

"Kim! I don't know how much time I have, but I've found out that Lorwardia is in the Pleiades star cluster. Dr. D and I are still ok, and we're on the outskirts of the Lorwardian star system, so it won't be long before we arrive on the planet."

"Yes!" Kim yelled. "We just found out about your destination ourselves. I'm so glad you're still all right! Shego, Yori and I are on our way to rescue you both in the Kepler Eye-Eye-Eye!"

Ron couldn't help but laugh at the reference. "Cute, KP. Sacky would appreciate it."

Shego and Yori exchanged questioning glances at the curious reference.

Yori quickly interjected, "Stoppable-sama, we have spatial coordinates of the Pleiades cluster, but not the specific star that Lorwardia orbits. Are you able to provide us with a more exact location?"

Ron sadly shook his head. "Sorry, Yori. I can only tell that it's a large blue-white star we're headed toward. Kim, I'll try to give you a better idea once Dr. D and I are there. And Kim ..."

Kim looked expectantly at Ron's spectral apparition.

Ron looked at Kim with tremendous longing. "I just wanted to say, well, I love you and miss you terribly."

Kim began to tear up. "Oh, Ron. I love you too, and ... and more than I can say right now and still hold it together. You've made an incredible effort to reach us, so just try to hold on until we can get there. We're doing everything we can to reach you just as fast as we can."

Ron looked to one side, obviously listening to something Dr. Drakken was saying, then smiled. "Oh, and Kim? Tell Shego that Dr. D feels the same way."

At that news, Shego bit her lip to try and control her own reaction, but tears began to blur her vision as well.

Ron looked again to one side. "Uh, about Shego, not about you, that is."

Kim rolled her eyes, sighing deeply.

Ron looked sideways for a third time. "But he still respects you greatly, thinks you're really 'all that', and hopes that we can all get to be better friends eventually."

The touching moment now hopelessly wrecked, Shego simply shook her head and chuckled softly. "_Dr. D, what am I going to do with you ..._"

Ron continued in a darker tone. "And don't worry, we'll make Warmonga totally pay for what she's done, as well as the rest of the Lorwardians just as soon as we get out of these bindings. The good news is that with Rufus' help, we've been able to slow Warmonga down a little. And a big _booyah_ to Dr. D for managing to give her a nice case of poison ivy!"

Ron's voice softened. "I'm sorry I couldn't reach you sooner, Kim, but the astral planes get pretty freaky at faster-than-light speeds. But now that we're traveling below lightspeed ..."

Ron stopped in mid-sentence as his image began to waver. He suddenly looked horrified, then let out a scream of incredible pain. In another moment, he had completely vanished.

Kim immediately panicked. "Ron? Ron! What's happened? _Ron!_"

She was answered only by the deathly silence of space as Shego and Yori apprehensively looked on.


	18. Off To Lorwardia

_At last, the newest chapter is up: questions will be answered, and new mysteries will be posed. And leave a review, get a response. Enjoy!_

* * *

"Wha-what just happened?" Kim was visibly upset. "One second Ron was fine, and the next ..." Her voice trailed off as her mind raced with the possibilities of what might have just occurred, and none of them good.

"Kim-chan." Yori's calm voice had an immediate soothing effect on her. She looked at Yori, hoping for some small glimmer of hope, or at least some insight into what had just transpired.

Yori continued, "It is possible that Stoppable-sama's physical form was simply disturbed in some way, or subjected to some kind of external discomfort which caused his spirit to abruptly depart from us."

Kim swallowed hard. "But is he still ... could he be ..." Kim couldn't bring herself to voice that unpleasant thought.

"Kim-chan, I believe that he is still alive. If he had perished, I feel that I would have sensed it, so do not despair so easily. Stoppable-sama is quite resourceful ..." She laughed lightly. "When he wishes to be, of course."

Kim smiled involuntarily at Yori's observation, which was in keeping with what she already knew so well about Ron. She let out a deep breath and began to relax.

On the other hand, Shego was just as caustic as ever. "Well, _Ninja Girl_, that's great to know, but _I'm _worried about Drakken. If whatever caused the Ronster to go 'poof' also affected Dr. D, I'm not going to be a very happy camper."

Yori remained outwardly calm, but Kim suspected that Shego's insolence did bother her deep down.

Kim frowned. "Shego, could you address Yori by her proper name, please? She's not only a friend but a member of this team, and deserves at least a little respect, don't you think?"

Shego glared back at Kim. "Listen, _Princess_, if you and ..." She shot the young ninja a dirty look. "_Yori_ ... hadn't decided to go on your little adventure back there, we could have been that much farther ahead and closer to reaching Dr. D."

Kim fixed Shego with an equally angry stare, silently warning her that she had better add one more name to the list of people to be rescued. Shego gritted her teeth. "And Stoppable," she insultingly added almost as a mere afterthought.

Shego's tension was mounting, and her anger was beginning to spiral out of control. The fact that Kim was back in her normal mission garb while Yori was clothed in Kim's former battle suit continued to bring up increasingly irritating memories for Shego: memories that she'd much rather forget, but that were now becoming more and more persistent. Memories of battles lost, hopes dashed, and not just a little physical pain from an impact with a certain electrical tower. The touch of claustrophobia she was feeling from being cooped up in the small cockpit for over a day wasn't helping matters either. There was no privacy here, and Shego desperately needed some privacy at this particular moment.

Not only that, but she now realized that she was once again a member of a team of virtual superheroes, once again acting in the capacity of a pilot and a subordinate, and once again under the command of a goody-two-shoes leader. But instead of her brother, the leader was now Kim: both her cousin and former enemy. All this continued to grate against her, as well as her worry over Dr. D. The cumulative stress was beginning to fracture what little self-control she had left, and she was now at the breaking point.

Kim heatedly continued, as focused and headstrong as ever. "Listen, Shego, we're in this together, and we've got to work as team or else we're all toast, including the Earth. We don't have time for your cranky whining."

Shego shot back, "Now you're sounding just like Hego, so full of yourself and your mission! And I think your usual high and mighty attitude has only gotten worse now that you have the complete set of Team Go's powers!"

Kim's face reddened with anger. "I don't have any kind of attitude that hasn't been prompted by your criminal past, Shego! Cousin or not, you're lucky I even let you tag along!"

Shego locked eyes dangerously with Kim. "Oh yeah? So with Yori here as your Japanese clone, what the hell do you even need _me_ for?"

Yori's eyes hooded slightly, the only outward sign that she was also nearing the end of her patience at their tirade. She coolly considered her options should this confrontation continue to escalate.

Kim gritted her teeth together and spat back, "Well, maybe I should just turn this ship around and take you right back to Earth, then! Or even better, how about a short trip _right out of the airlock?_"

Shego lit her plasma with a powerful whoosh. She lowered her voice menacingly. "Just try it, _Princess._ Comet powers or not, I can still take you out if I have to."

Kim likewise activated her plasma. "Go right ahead, Shego. I could beat you even before I had these powers, and I can certainly beat you even easier now!"

Yori suddenly pounded her fist into her chair's console as she cried out, "Hold!"

Kim and Shego were both stunned by Yori's yell. Never before had either of them seen her display a sudden outburst of such intensity. They stared at her in shocked silence, their plasma-sheathed hands flickering dangerously as they each waited for Yori to continue.

"We must _not_ fight like this amongst ourselves. It is shameful and dishonors us all!"

She turned first to Kim. "Forgive me, Kim-chan, but there is grain of truth in what Shego-chan has spoken. You are most competitive, and under the right conditions, it is one of your greatest strengths. And now you are gifted with most incredible abilities and powers, miraculously suited for the mission that lies before us."

Yori's face took on a more somber look. "But remember also that absolute power can corrupt absolutely, no matter how good or noble one's intentions are. It took Stoppable-sama months of training in order to gain full control of his powers, and the humility to use them well. Can you truly say that you have mastered your new physical and mental abilities in merely a few days?"

Kim was panting heavily as she looked down at her glowing hands, hands that now exuded terrific and as yet untapped power. She suddenly remembered her own thoughts from not that long ago. _"__No one should ever have that kind of power, no matter which side of the law they're on ..."_

Kim realized how close to the edge she had just come. Without a word, Kim let out a long breath and powered down her plasma.

Yori then turned to Shego. "Shego-chan. I sense jealousy of Kim-chan's powers within you. I fear also that you have transferred to her the animosity you have felt in the past for your brothers. But she is truly different from them, and this resentment does not honor her."

Shego was speechless, her jaw hanging open in amazement.

Yori's tone softened as she continued. "I also sense your deep concern for Dr. Drakken, which has undoubtedly heightened your anxiety. Shego-chan, you love him deeply, and you miss him. You are concerned for his fate. Do not let those feelings of fear overcome you, and do not cover them with hate."

Shego immediately realized that Yori had just nailed her, easily reading her innermost feelings. She hesitated for a moment, then powered down her own plasma, her anger dissipating like the morning mist at dawn. A trickle of a tear escaped from the corner of one eye, despite her best efforts at hiding it. Her face however remained stonily impassive as she struggled with maintaining control in response to Yori's razor-sharp insight. Another moment ticked by as she fought to regain her emotional equilibrium. Shego sighed inwardly as she thought to herself, _"__Wow, she's really good. But I will NOT lose it in front of either her or Kimmie."_

Kim was deeply moved by Yori's insight. She looked at her cousin with a new depth of understanding. "Shego, I'm ... I'm sorry. I didn't see what was happening to me ... to us."

Shego wiped away the trickle of moisture from her face, embarrassed by even this minor outward display. "I am too, Kimmie. Ninja ... uh, Yori really nailed us both right between the eyes." She turned to observe the lithe young girl, still a picture of innocence, but who had just proven how wise beyond her years she truly was.

Yori bowed her head in simple acknowledgement. "Yes, Shego-chan. Kim-chan speaks the truth, and truth should always be embraced. We are indeed a team, and each of us is gifted with her own unique strengths. Together we can compensate for the other's weaknesses as we each focus on our own strengths. But we must never allow ourselves to turn on each other, or else the enemy has won. And the rescue of our friends, even our very planet, will be greatly hindered."

Kim nodded in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I allowed myself to forget that, Yori. Thanks for reminding both of us what's really at stake here."

"Domo, Kim-chan. And you are still our leader, and we are trusting in you to make the wisest choices for us all."

A small light began to blink on the control panel. Kim was extremely thankful for the distraction.

"Well, we've reached the last known position of Pluto. Let's see what's left."

The three women of Team Possible looked out of the forward viewport at the utter devastation left by Warmonga's vindictive attack.

Shego's jaw dropped open. "Whoa. Not much left of poor Pluto, Kimmie."

Kim was likewise stunned by the cataclysmic annihilation of the dwarf planet. But she quickly put aside her feelings of shock.

"Yes, but even in its destruction it can still confirm the way to Lorwardia."

Kim closed her eyes and concentrated on the almost imperceptible movement of the huge debris field.

"Yes, I can sense a slight movement, like eddies in a stream. And the motion is moving toward ..."

She opened her eyes and saw the Pleiades star cluster glittering directly ahead of them, exactly 440 light years distant.

"Bingo. Now if we could only get a better fix on Lorwardia itself."

A rattling was heard in the rear of the Kepler's command compartment. Yori gasped as she immediately recognized its source. "The Lotus Blade ..."

The ancient weapon was clamoring to be released from its confines. Yori swiftly retrieved the Kanji-inscribed box and opened it. The Lotus Blade mysteriously floated out of the box, suddenly pointing directly at the star cluster.

"The Lotus Blade only responds to the Mystical Monkey Master, Kim-chan." A bright smile broke out on Yori's face. "And only if he is living."

Kim choked down a sob, the emotional release from this good news apparent on her face.

"_Ron's still alive ..."_

Shego smiled for the first time in what seemed like days. "Well, Cupcake. I think that's enough confirmation that your boyfriend's still with us. And if he is, Drakken must be too. And now it looks like we have a compass to find them. So what say we get this show on the road?"

Shego turned to the young ninja with a rare look of warmth and appreciation. "By the way, Yori, that was quite a display of insight you had there. If that ninja thing doesn't work out, have you considered psychotherapy as a profession? You seem to have a real knack for it."

A trace of a smile tugged at Yori's lips. "No, Shego-chan. Although I am trained in the art of observation, that particular field is not my destiny. I do not yet fully understand that destiny, but I am certain that I am on the correct path. And as soon as ..." Yori stopped in mid-sentence, a look of surprise appearing on her face.

"Sensei!"

A familiar apparition began to form before them. But instead of Sensei's usual benign and calm visage, his deep frown and furrowed brow revealed a sense of great anxiety.

"Team Possible, I bear grave news. The Lorwardians have landed and begun their initial ground attack. We have withstood their initial assault, but their numbers are great and threaten to overwhelm us. General Sims believes that we can only hold them off temporarily."

Team Possible sat in shocked silence at the news.

Shego frowned. "I guess they didn't take too kindly to our blowing away a few of their ships."

Kim feared what his next request might be. "Sensei, do you need us to return to Earth to assist?" No sooner had she posed that question than she realized that their return would mean abandoning Ron and Drakken to their fate. Shego immediately realized this as well as they all waited apprehensively for his reply.

Sensei firmly shook his head from side to side. "No. You must finish the task that you have set out to accomplish. Only your success in retrieving Stoppable-sama and Drakken-san can save us now and assure us of the victory we so desperately need. I wish you Godspeed, Kim Possible. The world joins together in its prayers and deepest hope for your success in this great task. Your family also conveys its love to you. Although ..." Sensei hesitated for a moment.

"Although, what?" Kim had a sudden sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Sensei sighed heavily. "Kim-chan, your brothers are missing. No one has seen them for over a day. Rest assured that we shall continue our search until they are found. I will contact you again in one day's time with any updates on our situation. Farewell ..."

Sensei faded from their sight as Kim and Shego stared at each other in total silence. Shego was the first to speak.

"I'm sure they're all right Kim. If they're half as resourceful as you, they've probably already found a way to blow up the Lorwardians, and probably are having a lot of fun doing it, too."

That brought a glimmer of a smile to Kim's face. "Yeah, and if I know the Tweebs at all, they're probably both perfectly fine and busy getting themselves into some kind of trouble. But now the gauntlet's been thrown down. The invasion's begun and the clock is ticking for Ron and Drakken."

Kim's face hardened. "It's up to us now. We can't allow ourselves to fail. That would just be so ..." She smiled grimly. "So ferociously wrongsick. Shego, make the final checks for activating the hyperlight engines."

Shego smiled as she responded, "Aye-aye, Cap'n Kimmie."

But as Kim and Shego continued to speak, Yori could still sense Sensei's presence within her mind.

"_Yori ... the aliens from the Greater Magellanic Cloud have revealed to me their ancient belief that one called the Great Red will rescue the Great Blue and help restore balance to our galaxy. It is their belief that Kim-chan is the Great Red, and I concur with their assumption."_

Even without physically seeing him, Yori could sense a frown forming. She felt the resonance of an emotion that she had rarely felt from the Master, one of fear.

_"However, __they have warned me that their word 'rescue' can also mean 'destroy' depending on the tense and context of their language, which has been blurred by the passing of time. Kim-chan and Shego-chan will of course each desire to save their own beloved. Use your best judgment as to when or if you should reveal this to them, as the true identity of the Great Blue remains in doubt. May the gods of our ancestors look with favor upon you, Yori-chan ..." _

Sensei faded from her mind as she became aware of Kim speaking. "Yori? Hello?"

Yori focused her eyes on Kim. "Forgive me Kim-chan. I was briefly ... lost in thought."

She continued to wonder what the truth would turn out to be. Was Ron the Great Blue, or was Drakken? And would they be able to save them both, or would one or the other perish in the process? Her thoughts weighed heavily inside her mind as Kim prepared to engage the Kepler III's alien stardrive.

"All right everyone. Here goes nothing ..."

Shego grimaced. "Uh, Kim, could you choose a phrase not _quite _so open to disaster?"

Kim flipped the switch, and a multi-colored rainbow of light appeared. In a moment, they were instantly propelled into hyperlight speed. They were now on their way toward Lorwardia and their ultimate destiny. But their voyage to the distant planet had not gone unnoticed. The Lorwardian cruiser that Kim and Yori had infiltrated the day before had been trailing them at a great distance, just within range of the enemy's sensors.

From the auxiliary control room of his ship, the Commander smiled. "Not so fast, young interlopers. You will pay for your interference very soon. By the beard of Warhafter, I swear it! Helmsman, set course for Lorwardia. And follow that ship!"

With another brilliant flash of light, the Lorwardian cruiser jumped to hyperlight speed in hot pursuit of Team Possible.

* * *

Ron found himself back in his own body after traveling hundreds of light years in only a few seconds. The psychic trauma of venturing that quickly was bad enough, but the electric shocks going through his body were truly excruciating. From behind her medical control panel, Warmonga was staring at him with a look of near panic. She once again pushed the defibrillator button.

Ron screamed again. "YeaagghhHHH! What are you trying to do, fry me up like a Naco?"

She was immediately relieved that Ron was once again conscious. "Ooh, sorry. Warmonga was afraid that you had somehow slipped into a coma and were near death. Your life signs were barely registering on the automatic medical scanners. Therefore the use of the emergency defibrillator was needed to revive you, and this one is pleased that you are not dead. Especially since should either of you perish before your trial, Wamonga's own life would be forfeit."

Ron panted, "Well, I think one more electric shock like that and I would have been toast. Literally!"

"Ooh, that would not be good. Warmonga despises toast. It is too dry and crumbly, much like our homeworld, Lorwardia. Warmonga much prefers braised thorgoggle marinated in a delicious xarthex sauce. _That_ is a meal fit for a warrior." She leered at Ron and suggestively purred, "And should you be declared the Great Blue, Warmonga will prepare this delicacy for you, as your new battlemate."

Ron's face blanched in horror. "Whoa! New battlemate? As in _married?_"

Warmonga crossed her arms and smiled. "Lorwardians do not marry in the manner of your sentimental human customs. On Lorwardia, the greatest warriors are proven in magnificent battle, and are automatically given to each other as mates in order to procreate and sire a new clan of mighty warriors."

Ron and Drakken exchanged worried glances, the looks on their faces reflecting the terrible feeling growing in the pit of their stomachs. Even if one of them died in the upcoming battle, the other might be facing a fate even worse than death.

Ron sheepishly continued, "Uh, procreate? As in, well, uh ..." Ron's voice trailed off, realizing exactly what that meant. He thought to himself, "_Oh, man,_ _Kim is NOT going to like this_."

He tried to speak with a degree of bravery that he felt very little of at the moment. "Uh, sorry, Warmonga, but I'm already spoken for, if you remember that wedding ceremony you so rudely interrupted."

He suddenly brightened up as an idea struck him. "Besides, I already defeated a great warrior, so I claim Kim Possible as my battlemate. _Booyah!_ So how do you like _those_ apples?"

A confused look passed over Warmonga's face. "Apples? I prefer the quimara fruit over apples. They are not as sweet and much more nutritious."

Ron simply rolled his eyes. "No, I mean what do you think of the fact that I defeated both you _and _Warhok, and there's no way I'd _ever_ choose you over Kim?"

Warmonga glared dangerously at Ron for a moment before continuing. "Then Warmonga will need to utterly destroy the young redhead. If memory serves, you have an earth phrase for this: _poetic justice_, I believe?"

Ron swallowed hard at the thought of that.

Warmonga continued. "But of course, this assumes that you are the victor." She turned to address Drakken. "It may turn out that Warmonga's first guess was correct, and that you are indeed the Great Blue after all."

Drakken turned a shade paler at that possibility. "Uh, let's not be too hasty, Warmonga, girl. I'll have to go along with, uh, Ben on this. You see, I'm spoken for as well, and my, er, _betrothed_ would not take kindly to, uh, any kind of union between us either." He continued under his breath, "Besides, she'd very likely kill us _all_ before I even had a chance to explain."

Warmonga sneered proudly, clenching a fist for emphasis. "Then Warmonga will destroy the green one as well, and take great pleasure in it. Either way, this revenge shall be richly savored. Prepare yourselves: we shall be landing on Lorwardia within one time period. Then shall the greatest question in our glorious history be ultimately answered!"

She turned away and stormed out of the cell, her thundering footsteps receding into the distance.

Drakken bemoaned, "Well, this is just great. One of us will die, and the other will be doomed to be that overgrown Amazon's plaything."

Ron clenched his teeth. "Not if I can help it, Dr. D. And would it kill you to remember my name? Holy frijole, it's been almost four years since you've known me!"

Drakken shrugged as he sighed heavily. "Sorry. Ron was ... my father's name. I never got along with him too well, and many things never really got resolved. And I never succeeded in ever meeting his impossibly high standards. So I've always had a problem when trying to remember that _particular_ name."

Ron was astounded at this revelation. "You mean you can't remember my name because of issues with your father, and not just because I was Kim's sidekick?"

Drakken thought for a moment. "Well, uh, that too, I suppose. But he's ... well, he passed away many years ago." He brightened slightly. "But things have certainly changed drastically over the past few months, and some of them for the better. And now that you've finally stepped out from behind Kimberly Ann's shadow, I'll try a bit harder to remember your name in the future." He frowned again as thoughts of despair again clouded his thoughts. "However much longer that may end up being for either of us." Almost as if to reflect his somber mood, a small flower petal popped out from beneath his collar, only to immediately wilt.

* * *

Warmonga's ship approached the fourth planet of the Atlas star system, known to its inhabitants as Lorwardia. From a great distance, the planet appeared much like Mars, although much larger. Its predominantly red hues melded into slightly greener areas toward the poles where most of the population resided. Only a quarter of the planet was covered by water, the exact inverse of what the Earth enjoyed, contributing further to its hot, dry climate. Only its heavier gravity and large size kept its thin atmosphere and precious water vapor from escaping into space.

As they descended through the thin, dusty atmosphere, Ron again tried to view their arrival through Warmonga's eyes. He ground his teeth together as he tried to ignore the terrific itching that Dr. D's rogue plants had so obligingly continued to grace her with. His attempt was rewarded by a panoramic view of the planet's surface, still devastated in many places by eons of conflict. Large areas were scarred as well from rampant strip mining for scarce yet valuable mineral resources. A cloud of dust rose as the ship finally landed in the Great Square of the planet's capital city, Lorwardia Prime.

A tremendous honor guard had been ordered to attend their arrival, both for the exaltation of the potential Great Blue as well as for Lorwardia's protection from the two humans who vied for the ultimate title of their mythical superbeing. The Honor Guard was fully armed and armored and ready for whatever action they needed to take, whether it was to be in the role of mere escort, or as defenders in full-fledged combat. They were fully prepared in case Ron and Drakken decided to unleash their terrific powers, the legend of which had grown to mythic proportions.

As the hatch opened, a tremendous cacophony of sound assaulted Ron and Drakken as Lorwardia's greatest musician-warriors struck up their instruments in an incredible display of sheer musical power. The energetic harmonies and orchestration were totally alien to their ears, but even on a distant planet the sound of a military band was clearly recognizable. They also realized something was amiss when the playing suddenly petered out, and the music ground to a ragged halt.

The honor guard was stunned into silence as soon as Ron and Drakken stepped out of the ship. They scratched their heads in wonder at the diminutive size of these so-called fearsome earthlings, who looked about as dangerous as one of their children's pet zarthbobbles. A few Lorwardians snickered openly, but were quickly silenced by their superiors as Warmonga began to speak.

"Warnonga greets Lorwardia in the name of our great and mighty Warhafter!"

She turned to address Warhafter, who stood majestically on a large dais in the center of the square. "The two candidates for the noble title of the Great Blue have been captured and returned per your orders, O Mighty and Exalted One."

"Whoa." Ron gaped in awe at the sheer size of Warhafter, who was at least a head taller than any other Lorwardian present. He was attired similarly to what he remembered of Warhok, but also wore a brilliant crimson robe inlaid with a golden runic pattern, no doubt underscoring his rank as the total overlord of Lorwardia. A huge sword hung from one side of his immense belt. On the other, a large and very wicked-looking firearm dangled. Ron was positive that neither weapon was meant merely for show.

Warhafter's deep voice boomed across the square. "You have done well, Warmonga. Welcome home."

He looked disapprovingly at Ron and Drakken. "So, these are the two whelps who defeated you and Warhok? They look no more dangerous than children. I am not impressed."

A few people in the crowd snickered in agreement at Warhafter's scathing appraisal.

Ron calmly addressed Warhafter. "Size matters not, and looks can be deceiving."

A murmur rose through the crowd at Ron's repartee.

Drakken spoke softly out of the side of his mouth. "Ix-nay on the Ip-lay, Stoppable. Those weapons look rather deadly."

Warhafter smiled as he continued. "So, you show much courage to speak directly to me in such a manner. Either that, or your insolence betrays great foolishness. We shall see which very soon."

Warhafter took a step closer to Drakken as he looked him over. "And you. You are larger, and blue. But still not a very impressive specimen. Still, you bear a scar on your face, no doubt from a great battle."

Drakken nervously replied, "Well, so nice to meet you, Mr. Warhafter! I've heard so much about you from Warmonga here. Very nice planet you've got, and perhaps when this is all over someone could give me a tour ..."

"SILENCE!" Warhafter commanded. "Cease your babbling this instant!"

Suddenly frozen with fear, Drakken's mouth hung open in mid-sentence. His autonomic reflexes kicked in as several marigold petals quickly popped out from around his face.

The entire entourage broke out in derisive laughter.

Even Warhafter began to smile. "Well! We have a mere boy, and a _plant._" His face then took on a darker look as he addressed all those present. "But they did defeat two of our mightiest warriors and a regiment of our warcraft. The youngling is correct: looks can be deceiving."

He turned to a comparatively shorter Lorwardian who had been observing the proceedings with great interest.

"WarOwl, our _guests_ are all yours. Find out what makes them tick and report back to me as soon as possible." Warhafter turned to the nearest guards and barked, "Take them away!"

As Ron and Drakken were led away to one of the capital's high-security compounds, they continued to be amazed by the number of heavily-armed Lorwardians that surrounded them. Ron grinned inwardly, realizing that as fierce as these warriors obviously were, there was an undercurrent of unrest, if not fear, that hung over the entire proceeding, especially after Warhafter had reminded them all how he and Drakken had defeated Warhok and Warmonga. The Lorwardians may be brash and fearsome, but they were obviously taking no chances.

Drakken however seemed ignorant of this as he morosely complained, "Well, _that_ could have gone better. And what was that comment about 'size matters not?' Seems a bit Zen, don't you think?"

Ron snickered. "No, actually, that was one of Yoda's lines from _The Empire Strikes Back_. It just seemed to fit the moment."

Drakken simply winced as he shook his head in resignation. As they were being led away, the one called WarOwl walked up beside them. Diminutive only by Lorwardian stature, he still stood in excess of six feet in height. And unlike most of the other Lorwardians, he seemed both friendly and gregarious, smiling as he began to speak.

"Welcome to Lorwardia, contenders for the title of the Great Blue! I am WarOwl, and I bear both the joy and responsibility of your initial trial. I've briefly studied your world's various systems of jurisprudence, so I thought I would start by letting you know what the process will be and what your rights are. Let me be clear, you have none. My goal is simply to determine which one of you is the Great Blue."

He smiled cheerfully, almost like a child that was about to enter a candy store. "And I have _just_ the device in my laboratory to help me do _exactly_ that!"

Ron gulped. "Device?"

Drakken swallowed hard. "Laboratory?"

Ron turned to Drakken and whispered, "Time for another _Star Wars_ quote, Dr. D. I've got a bad feeling about this ..."

Rufus peeked out of Ron's pocket and moaned in agreement.


	19. Counterattack

_Thanks to all who have left reviews so far, and thanks for reading even if you haven't. Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth ..._

* * *

Warsnipe pounded his command console in frustration. He was now the highest ranking commander of the blockade, now that Warfalkon's ship had been destroyed by a comet and the next ship in the chain of command had raced off after Kim's cleverly disguised Kepler III.

He shook his head in dismay as he realized that Kim's single ship had unwittingly taken out several of the special ground support ships loaded with the robotic warcraft that had been used with such great effect in past planetary invasions. This was in addition to the loss of several similar ships after that comet had furiously streaked by them. The available ground assault forces had therefore been greatly reduced even before they had a chance to land, and those that had landed were now being whittled away by amazingly strong human resistance.

Warsnipe barked out a command. "Subcommander, I want an update on our ground assault!"

His second-in-command laconically replied, "No change, Commander. After our initial successes, our attacks are slowly grinding to a halt."

A holographic representation of the Earth floated in front of them. The subcommander pointed out several locations. "We still hold our initial landing points, but we've been unable to break out of our bridgeheads except in a few areas. The humans have counterattacked us wherever possible, and amazingly by using our own plasma weapons. Apparently, the humans have repaired the armament destroyed in Warhok's first attack and discovered how to operate them."

He toggled a switch to show a new display. "Not only that, but in many locations, the humans have learned how to effectively shield their power grid and communications from our preemptive electronic attacks. Note here, and here." He pointed to large areas which glowed in a bright red color, indicating their inability to jam the humans, primarily on the North American, European and Asian continents.

"Commander, with all due respect, we have underestimated the ingenuity and resolve of the humans."

Warsnipe growled in anger. "Stalemate! Is that what you're telling me? I didn't think our language even _had _a word for that anymore!"

"Commander, I warned you that a ground assault was inadvisable due to our initial losses, and that we should wait for orders from Homeworld Command before ..."

"Silence!" The anger on Warsnipe's face revealed to his subordinate that any further comments would be ill-advised. "We had to strike now before the earthlings came up with some other trick to throw us off balance. Besides, our food reserves have been dwindling rapidly, and for some reason our resupply ships have yet to arrive."

"I understand sir, but our orders specifically prohibited any ..."

Warsnipe growled. "One more word, Subcommander, and you'll be sucking the vacuum of space after I have you thrown out of the nearest airlock!"

The Subcommander calmly replied, "Of course, sir."

A light began to blink on the communication panel. "Ah, an incoming message from Assault Team Alpha."

Warsnipe frowned. "That's the strike force ordered to take Middleton, isn't it? Let's hope that it's good news."

"Yes, sir." He touched his earpiece as he listened to the report. "Sir, Wareagle and Battlewasp have both perished in glorious combat. Wargerbil and Battlerat have taken over command of the two remaining attack columns north and south of the city. They have assumed defensive positions outside of Upperton and Lowerton, respectively. The enemy is not presently pursuing."

Warsnipe exhaled in relief. "Thank Warhafter for that at least."

"They are requesting reinforcements, sir. And orders."

"Tell them to take a flying leap at the thirteen moons of ..." He bit off his sharp rejoinder. "Tell them to remain in defensive positions until further notice. We'll send reinforcements as soon as we're able."

"But sir, we've already sent our entire ground attack force to the planet. We have no reserves left."

Warsnipe simply glared at the Subcommander.

"Yes, sir. Sending message now."

Warsnipe sank down into his command chair and thought, _"__How could this have gone so wrong so quickly? This was supposed to have been an easy victory ..." _

* * *

Just outside of Upperton, Larry snorted in glee as he observed the last of the enemy warbots retreat over the hill. "Excellent work, Vivian. With the Robot Rumble armed with Justine's portable Kinematic Continuum Disruptors, it looks like we have a perfectly executed Scenario 46."

Dr. Vivian Porter brushed back a strand of her blond hair. "Yeah, Larry. That was a real good idea you had. Thanks." She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

He snorted again for good measure. "So, does this mean my petition to be reinstated in the Robot Rumble will be reconsidered?"

Vivian smiled and ruffled his hair. "You can count on it, Imperial Senator Burnaliss ..."

* * *

Team Go was likewise busy defending against the attack just south of Lowerton. The Lorwardians had attempted a simultaneous pincer attack from the north and south of Middleton, but ran into immediate problems when Team Go arrived on the scene. Hego had just finished smashing the last of the attacking warcraft. The Wegos were in the process of literally running rings around the surviving Lorwardians, who were dizzily collapsing on the ground. One escaping warcraft suddenly had a leg inexplicably collapse out from under it, crashing to the ground in a cloud of smoke. Mego climbed out of the wreckage and quickly resumed his normal size.

"See Hego, I can bring these things down just as easily as you can! I just have to find the right wiring to short out!"

Hego laughed heartily. "That's the way to do it, Mego! That'll teach these invaders that the bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

Mego merely rolled his eyes as Hego's typical comment, but smiled that they had won their first victory.

Hego proudly activated his wrist communicator. "General Sims, Lowerton is now secure, and the enemy is on the run. How are we doing in Upperton?"

General Sims voice crackled over the ultra-high frequency band, distorted but not totally blocked by the Lorwardian jamming. "Extremely well, Hego. The robotics department at the Middleton Institute of Technology came through with flying colors. I just wish we could say the same everywhere else on the planet. But there have been some notable successes. Please report back to Middleton HQ right away for debriefing."

Hego acknowledged the request and cut the connection. He began to stroke his chin as he became immersed in thought. Something about the Lorwardian attack strategy just didn't seem quite right.

"Hmm. Instead of going straight for Middleton and all its research and development facilities, they seemed to be more interested in supermarkets and fast-food chains ..."

* * *

"Fore!"

On a remote island in the Orkneys in the far north of Scotland, an angry golfer dressed in kilt and tam was furiously swinging his club, hitting one explosive golf ball after another into the retreating Lorwardians.

Duff Killigan angrily shook his fist in defiance of the alien attack. "Aye, an' thets what I think of ye, ye filthy trolls! Fool me once, shame on yew, fool me twice, shame on me! Let that be the last time yew mess with the World's Deadliest Golfer!"

The island was littered with wrecked warcraft, their mechanical legs hopelessly tangled with huge tufts of overgrown grass.

"It's a good thing that Dr. Drakken chose me island to stockpile some of his plant mutagen." He smiled as he wiped his brow. "That stuff mixed verra well with Professor Green's leftover experimental fertilizer. And aye, it worked pure dang brilliant!"

A perplexed look came over his face. "But just one thing I canna get. Strange that they seemed more interested in eatin' my dearie Gram's haggis than in fightin' me wee plants ..."

He scratched his head in wonder as he strolled back into his castle to finish his lunch.

* * *

Deep within the Bavarian Alps, Professor Dementor laughed maniacally. He had finally broken through the electronic interference between him and Jack Hench of HenchCo Industries. Unfortunately, his villain light looked more purple than red due to the phase shift of the Lorwardian jamming, totally ruining the evil effect he had intended.

Jack Hench began with a smile. "Well, hello, Doctor! So glad we can finally speak face to face. I was personally pleased that I could fulfill your request so quickly. So, how did that work out?"

Dr. Dementor was beside himself with joy. "Magnificently! Yes, I see that the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer is the total destructiveness I have ever dreamed of unleashing upon an _unsuspecting verld!_ HAHAHAHAHA! It's just too bad I had to take out half of SWITZERLAND to do it. But I vill NOT allow any Lorvardian invasions into my favorite place in der entire verld, BAVARIA! But vud someone please tell me vy der Lorvardians vere attacking a STRUDEL FACTORY?" He shrugged his shoulders as he said offhandedly, "It makes no sense."

Jack Hench simply smiled and casually waved his hand. "Who knows, Doctor? But it did the trick, didn't it?"

"Ja, it certainly did. And if anyone is going to take over der verld, it should be ME! Not some crazy alien PRETENDERS!"

Jack reminded him, "Just remember that the PDVI is only offered on a trial basis, and needs to be returned once the aliens are defeated."

Dr. Dementor began to chuckle.

"Uh, you DO understand that don't you, Dr. Dementor?"

Dr. Dementor continued to laugh maniacally as he hung up.

* * *

Battlewolf scanned the desert horizon. The terrain reminded him of Lorwardia's arid plains. But this was Earth, and just over the next hill lay their assigned target, known to the humans as Area 51. A top-secret military base rumored to be harboring alien technology, it was apparently a plum ripe for the Lorwardian's picking. Battlewolf had assembled the single largest attack force of the entire offensive, fully half of their available warcraft. Warmonga had assured Battlewolf that this was a prime target, having observed many of Earth's television transmissions on the subject, especially on the Historicity and Disclosure Channels.

He confidently slammed the hatch of his warcraft with a resounding clang, and toggled his comm link to broadcast a message to all the other attack craft.

"Attention, Battlegroup! This will be the single largest attack ever mounted in our entire glorious history. With the overwhelming forces at my command, this should be a simple walkover. Your mission is simple: we are to capture this facility with the minimum damage necessary in order to subdue it, and seize as much technology that exists there. However, you are to destroy any resistance without mercy."

He continued with a malicious sneer. "And don't worry about taking prisoners. The entire race of these pitiful humans isn't worth the hide of a single Thorgoggle. If it weren't for the Great Blue, we could simply wipe them out completely, but that will be his choice alone. Onward to victory! _For Lorwardia!_"

The massive force began its advance on Area 51.

But no sooner had the attack force begun moving, when the sky began to darken ominously. Not with mere clouds, but with scores of huge flying creatures, the last of which hadn't been seen on Earth for over a thousand years, if ever.

Their glowing eyes immediately spotted the Lorwardian attack force far below, as thick smoke blew out of their nostrils in indignation at the invaders. With their iridescent red scales glittering in the hot Nevada sun, they tucked in their huge leathery wings and began their dive onto the unwelcome aliens.

Battlewolf was transfixed by the awesome sight. "What in the name of Warhafter ..."

With a terrifying roar, the first dragon attacked. Spewing an immense sheet of flame out of its mouth, it struck the leading warcraft, which promptly exploded into a bright ball of flame.

Battlewolf yelled into his comm link. "Return fire! All weapons!"

Plasma bolts immediately shot out from the attack craft, singing the air with each blast. But the dragons were quite maneuverable for their size, deftly avoiding most of the energy salvos. The few hits achieved only slowed the enormous creatures, but failed to stop their fiery attack.

One dragon was hit in the wing, and it ingloriously hit the ground with huge thump. No longer able to fly, but otherwise unharmed, it began loping toward the warcraft that had attacked it. Grabbing the hapless vehicle in its huge maw, the dragon tore through the alien craft as if it were tissue paper, spilling out its alien occupants onto the desert floor. Within its ancient brain, one overriding thought came to mind.

Lunch.

Within minutes, the Lorwardian attack had been completely routed. The few surviving warcraft, including Battlewolf's damaged vehicle, were beating a hasty retreat. But all was not over yet. Blocking their withdrawal was an enormous pink poodle fully fifty feet high, and with an attitude to match.

He was not happy.

The last thing Battlewolf saw was Commodore Puddles huge jaws closing down on his unlucky warcraft.

Back at Area 51, there was great rejoicing. General Sims turned to congratulate DNAmy on her success.

"Well, that was about the most amazing thing I've ever seen, and I've seen some strange things in my day. We don't even have a code for that yet! But I'm sure we will in the future: successful counterattack on an alien offensive by fire-breathing dragons gene-spliced by an evil geneticist pardoned by Global Justice ..."

DNAmy beamed with pride as she giggled, "Oh, General! You just say the _sweetest_ things!"

* * *

Dr. Director smiled. Operation Omega was working well, at least for the moment. A temporary truce had been struck with the world's supervillains, who had agreed to help in any way possible against the alien attack. In return, they were to be given the same blanket pardon that Dr. Drakken and Shego had received, with the proviso that they discontinue any further attempts at world domination. Since the alternative was Earth's total subjugation by the Lorwardians, they had readily agreed. Dr. Director then activated her viewscreen to make a final distasteful, but necessary call.

"Sheldon? It's Betty."

Gemini evilly beamed back at his twin sister as he stroked Pepe, his pet Chihuahua. "So, Betty, it seems you need my help after all."

"Yes, Sheldon. Global Justice ..."

Pepe immediately began barking fiercely, nervously shaking at the mention of that despised organization.

Gemini immediately tried to sooth his pet. "Ooh, Pepe. Calm down now, we're all on the same side now." He turned back to Dr. Director. "Betty, please refrain from using the name of ..."

Pepe jerked his head toward Gemini, fearing that he himself might speak that terrible name.

"... your organization in the presence of poor Pepe. Please show some respect for my favorite pet? Oh, and by the way, Mother called." His evil grin widened. "It seems that I'm back in the will. So there!"

Dr. Director sighed in exasperation over their continued sibling rivalry. "That's wonderful, Sheldon. So, do we have a deal?"

Gemini nodded. "Yes, my dear Betty, but only for the duration of the current crisis. I simply cannot dismantle the World Wide Evil Empire permanently, you understand. Not unless you did the same with Global ..."

Pepe yelped in fear.

"... uh, your own organization. I'm sure you understand."

Dr. Director nodded. "Then a truce it is. It's the best we could hope for, under the circumstances. Do you also agree to share with us any intel that you discover about the Lorwardians?"

Gemini continued to speak soothingly to Pepe as he considered the request. "Yes, Betty. In fact, I have a few captured Lorwardians whom I'm about to interrogate this very moment, so I'll be in touch with you shortly."

He broke the connection and walked into the next room. Three captured Lorwardians had just been brought in by his henchmen. He grinned slyly at the first one. "So, welcome to _my _world. I'd like to start by asking you a few questions about your attack plans."

The first Lorwardian sneered back at him, "You must realize that I will tell you nothing, Earthling scum!"

Gemini stroked his beard as he pointed to a chair. "I see. Won't you have a seat?"

The Lorwardian nodded in acknowledgement as he sat down in the proffered chair, which promptly disappeared as a hole opened up in the floor. His scream could be heard echoing down the long tunnel, ending with a dull thud as he hit the bottom.

Gemini turned to the next Lorwardian. "How about you?" The Lorwardian simply crossed his arms in refusal. Again, Gemini indicated a chair. "Why don't you have a seat while you think about it?"

The Lorwardian simply laughed in refusal. He wasn't about to be taken in by such an obvious ruse.

Gemini smiled. "You look hungry. Care for a sandwich?" The Lorwardian brightened up as he spotted the food on the table next to him. But as he reached for the sandwich, the floor opened up out from under him, sending him on a similar journey as the first, with a similar loud thump as he hit bottom.

Still cheerfully grinning, he looked at the remaining Lorwardian. "Now then, how about you?"

The Lorwardian grinned back sheepishly as he replied, "What would you like to know?"

Gemini laughed heartily as he rubbed his hands together in evil glee. "Ah, a _much_ better answer ..."

* * *

Ron and Dr. Drakken both continued to be watched closely by the huge Lorwardian honor guard until they were safe and secure within Lorwardia Prime's largest high-security compound. WarOwl smiled as he continued briefing them.

"Welcome to my lab, gentlemen. As I said, it is here that I hope that I can determine which one of you is the Great Blue. If I cannot, the decision will be made through mortal combat. Once this is decided, the Great Blue will become the new leader of our entire military might, both our ground and space forces. He will be second only to Warhafter himself, and will become the absolute ruler of Earth, to do with as he pleases. Rule it, destroy it, whatever."

Drakken began to smile as he drank in that possibility. "Hmm. Ruler of Earth. That has a nice ring to it, actually."

Ron warned, "Don't get your hopes up, Dr. D. We've got to save Earth, not take it over."

Ron turned to the Lorwardian scientist. "Look WartHowl, neither of us is going to cooperate, so you just might as well let us go now, before someone gets hurt."

He fiercely replied, "That's _WarOwl_, youngling. And let me remove all doubt from your mind: the only one who will be getting hurt is your planet, should you choose not to cooperate. If you wish to save it, I earnestly recommend that you do not impede this trial. The consequences would be ... grave."

The look on WarOwl's face revealed to Ron that this was no idle threat. Ron decided that he had better play along at least for the time being, and hope that he and Drakken would be released from their bindings soon. They might not be able to fight the whole planet, but they might be able to buy enough time for Kim, Shego and Yori to mount their rescue attempt.

Ron hesitated. "Well, uh, when you put it like that ..."

WarOwl grinned widely and resumed his previous gregarious attitude.

"A very wise decision! Now, if I may continue. If the identity of the Great Blue cannot be decided during the initial trial, the trial of combat will begin and a final victor determined."

He chuckled lightly. "The loser of course will be dead, so no appeals will be possible. Now, the first part of the trial will be what you would call the exploratory phase, and will be performed by me. The results, along with my recommendations, will then be turned over to our High Council for a final determination.

He lovingly patted some very alien-looking equipment. "To assist me, I will be using this device, the Psychotronic Historical Analyzer. I like to call it the Mind Thresher, since it sifts through one's thoughts and memories, and projects them onto this screen both for analysis, and my _personal _enjoyment. I must say that, of all my toys, this is my favorite. I don't recall which planet we ... _borrowed_ this from, or even upon what scientific principles it actually operates, but it certainly does its job well."

WarOwl smiled wickedly. "We'd naturally like to know as much as possible about our future commander, of course. I personally don't consider the myth of the Great Blue to be anything but a religious fiction designed to propel our race into total galactic domination, but I certainly admit our need of it." He chuckled happily. "And you two certainly fit the bill! But first, I need to carefully document these proceedings."

WarOwl activated what appeared to be a video recording device as he spoke first to Ron. "Please state your name for the record?"

Ron mumbled, "Stoppable. Ron Stoppable."

"Hmm, not a very suitable name for a hero such as yourself. It sends the wrong message, don't you agree?"

Ron sneered, "Yeah, I get that all the time."

WarOwl continued. "Let's start by recounting your accomplishment of several months ago. You were able to kill Warhok and seriously injure Warmonga, and in unarmed combat. Very impressive!" He suddenly stopped the recording. "Between you and me, I never cared for those two, always minimizing my research and hard work for Warhafter. They wanted all the glory for themselves, which I suppose is an ingrained trait of our race. But I'm sure you'll appreciate my work _much_ more, should you be determined the victor."

"Don't count on it," Ron smirked. His tone suddenly became reflective. "But I can kind of relate, actually. You see, I had this one teacher in high school who was always giving me extra homework, but he never seemed to appreciate the work I did, and then insisted on me turning it in a half hour _before_ the school opened, which was just totally unfair, you see my point? But it wasn't until ..."

WarOwl quickly cut off Ron's diatribe. "Yes, yes, of course." He thought to himself, _"__My, these earthlings do ramble on so. I wonder if this is a trait of_ _their species or if it's only these two specimens ..."_

He turned the recording device back on and looked at Drakken. "And would you please state your name?"

He snidely replied, "Dr. Drakken, formerly known as Drew Lipsky."

"Dr. Drakken, is it? What a suitably fierce name, and very appropriate for the Great Blue. It has kind of an evil ring to it, don't you agree? And while Mr. Stoppable took care of Warhok and Warmonga, you single-handedly crushed all of our warcraft, and with _plants_ of all things! Also very impressive. I see that you're blue already, which of course is a point in your favor. And that _is_ a rather fetching scar. Did you receive that in combat of some sort?"

Drakken blanched at the memory as he mumbled, "Well, I suppose you could say that, from a particular point of view."

"Well then, shall we start with you and that particular event? Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit. Physically, that is. Mentally? That's another matter, of course. Another wonderful attribute of this device is that I can have you relive any memory you've ever had, repeatedly. I'm pleased to say that I've been able to break the strongest of wills with this device, so I'm very popular with Warhafter. I obtain the information that he needs in order to rule our planet and its conquests, and he allows me the pleasure of using this device. And by the way, I _do_ reward those who cooperate with me." His tone darkened. "And punish those who don't. Do we understand each other?"

Drakken sheepishly nodded.

WarOwl placed the alien helmet on Drakken, covering both his head and eyes. Intricate wiring led from the helmet back to the device's main control panel and viewscreen. He flipped the switch, activating the Mind Thresher.

Dr. Drakken gasped as he was taken back to that fateful Tuesday so many years before. He could see through his own eyes and feel every physical and emotional impression, but found that he was unable to do anything but relive the moment as an unwilling observer. It was as if he were perched on his own shoulder as the past events were replayed. And this was one particular event he desperately wished that he could change.

He was once again Drew Lipsky. Now wearing a regular lab coat, he observed that his skin tone was back to its original pink. Drew Lipsky hummed tunelessly to himself as he made the final connections to his project, an advanced robot with unmistakably female attributes. But this robot was much more lifelike than his first abortive efforts at building mechanical dates for himself and his fellow classmates for that college science department mixer. That attempt had ended in utter humiliation before his peers: Vijay Ramesh, Bob Chen and James Possible. Hoping to create dates for them all, he had instead created a laughable robotic mélange of strength, clumsiness and faux feminine beauty.

"Well, I'll teach _them_ to laugh at me. One day they will recognize my true genius! And I'll show those moronic college professors just how brilliant I truly am. How _dare_ they threaten me with expulsion for my magnificent experiments! Well, I stole their thunder by simply withdrawing. Who needs a degree if you're a famous inventor anyway? Then they'll award me with an honorary doctorate, and I'll be rich and famous to boot! And, I'll have a perfect companion ... my own creation, tailor-made for the great Drew Lipsky! And _this _companion will never make fun of me, humiliate me _or _be sarcastic!"

The present Dr. Drakken winced at that comment, realizing with no little irony that he had hired a sidekick with those very same attributes: Shego.

Drew Lipsky then remembered his first girlfriend, who had unfortunately shared all of those negative traits as well. "Yes, my dear Bebe. You were truly evil to laugh at me because of my ... _inexperience_ in certain areas. So I will honor your memory by christening my new creation ... _Bebe 2.0!_ She will be everything that you weren't: intelligent, a good listener, and she'll respond to my every whim and desire!"

The present Dr. Drakken cringed, knowing what was just about to happen, and being powerless to stop it. He hadn't remembered to check all the battery terminals to make sure that the polarities were properly aligned. This was of course because the Bebe 2.0 wasn't entirely his creation. It was a mélange of the best robotic bits and pieces that he could either beg, borrow or steal.

The 'borrowing' in this case was from a computer chip designer for virtual reality applications. Drew Lipsky's own contribution was an interface between the chip and the computer core to provide Bebe 2.0 with a modicum of emotional response capability. It was quite ingenious, even for him, but he was venturing into unknown and untested territory. He would very shortly pay the price for his carelessness.

He quickly made the final connections, anxious to bring his creation to life. "There. Now, awaken, _Bebe 2.0!_"

He flipped the switch. What happened next would become the inevitable signature outcome of nearly every one of his following inventions thereafter. It exploded.

A shard of metal struck him below the left eye, leaving a large gash and penetrating through his hapless skull. Miraculously, it missed severing his ocular nerve or any other critical nerves or arteries, but it did leave him with some minor brain damage.

The robot's unusual alum-based lubricant and coolant also sprayed across his clothing and skin, soaking him with the irritating viscous fluid. Had he not been knocked unconscious by the blast, he would have been able to remove his clothing before any permanent damage was done. As it turned out, the sticky substance permeated his clothing and remained on his skin long enough not only to change its color, but reduce the flow of blood and oxygen to the upper layers of his epidermis as well. Both of his hands were badly burnt, and due to the alum would shrink what little skin he had left on his fingers and palms. The final result of all this left him with tiny hands, permanently itchy skin, and his now infamous shade of blue.

The present Dr. Drakken winced. "Note to self: no more experiments with _anything _that can possibly drench me in any kind of goo ..."

The net result of this accident would leave him with his creativity unimpaired, but hamper his cognitive processes somewhat. It would also set him inexorably on the path of megalomania and evil. Dr. Drakken had been born.

WarOwl rubbed his hands in glee. "Well! This is quite interesting. So this accident was the cause of your blue skin tone, resulting in Warmonga's belief that you were the Great Blue. An understandable conclusion ... But let's take a look at some of your later adventures, shall we?"

As the hours passed by, WarOwl experienced the salient highlights from the checkered history of the now truly mad scientist. WarOwl nodded with approval at his tenaciousness in implementing one take-over-the-world scheme after another, and in later years with the one called Shego at his side. But invariably, he would be thwarted in his attempts by a certain red-headed teen heroine by the name of Kim Possible, and her trusty but often bumbling and unfocused sidekick, Ron Stoppable.

WarOwl was amazed. "How very fascinating! Kim Possible seems to have continually foiled each and every one of your stratagems, and almost always with Ron Stoppable's help. And this is the very person who you are in competition with today! But what's this?"

He watched in rapt attention as a particular event unfolded. His eyes widened as he watched a device called the Attitudinator absorb Drakken's evil and transfer it into Ron.

"Now this _is _truly intriguing! That device not only turned you back into good for a brief time, but also turned Ron into an evil genius apparently greater than even yourself, Dr. Drakken! And such a nice blue glow about him, too. Too bad that didn't last, or else we wouldn't even need to continue this trial."

He continued to watch the event play out. "But while in that state, he nearly succeeded where you had inevitably failed. If that device hadn't been quickly repaired and used to restore your evilness, Ron would have undoubtedly taken over the world, and ... hmm. Gained the entire world's supply of Nacos, whatever those are. They do appear to be some kind of exquisite food, however. And this is _also_ important to us."

WarOwl turned a curious eye toward Ron. "Well, I think I've learned as much as I need to know from Dr. Drakken for the time being. It's your turn, now, Mr. Stoppable."

Ron swallowed hard, fearful of what would happen next.

* * *

_Well, what fate will befall Ron, and what secrets will WarOwl gain with his insidious device? Only time will tell ..._


	20. The Mind Thresher

_Much time has passed since my last posting, and I appreciate everyone's patience in getting this new chapter up. Now that my musical is over, I'll be updating more frequently as we get closer to the explosive climax ... Enjoy!_

* * *

It had been nearly 24 hours since any of the new Team Possible had slept, so after a check of the path ahead of them with her heightened powers, Kim decided that they should all get some rest before arriving at the Pleiades cluster. Kim was pleased that she could not only sense the natural phenomena between them and Lorwardia, but several other spacecraft as well. She figured that there was a good chance that they were Lorwardian battlecruisers, so she had Shego plot a course around them to give them as wide a berth as possible.

Yori also took advantage of the break, but Shego insisted on staying awake at the controls for a while longer just in case. Kim promised to relieve her after a few hours so she could get some much needed rest. As Kim drifted off to sleep, she began to dream of Ron, and their first day together after graduation.

"So, Monkey Boy, I missed all your fireworks yesterday after I was knocked out by Warhok. You were so the hero, and you ... you saved my life."

Ron looked down at the ground, his hands buried in his pockets. His slight smile revealed that he was happy to have saved Kim, but his reply revealed that something was still bothering him. "Yeah, well, I did what I had to do, KP. Warhok and Warmonga were threatening to kill you and have you stuffed and mounted on their wall like some gorchy trophy. Warhok was holding you up like, well, like an animal he had just captured. There was no way I was to let him hurt you, Kim. My Mystical Monkey Power kicked in big time, so I fought them and beat them."

Ron continued, his voice tinged with remorse. "But I do feel real bad that I ended up killing them, since that wasn't what I really intended to do. But under the circumstances, I really don't think I had any other choice. There was too much at stake to pull any punches, either for you or the world."

Kim was overwhelmed by his reply. They walked a bit further in silence before she responded. "That was ferociously brave of you, Ron. How did you know they wouldn't beat you, and then, uh, just finish what they had started?"

Ron looked pensive for a moment before replying.

"I didn't, KP. I just didn't see that I had any choice. They were about to _kill _you. Even if it meant my own death, I wasn't going to let that happen. I love you that much, Kim. And no matter whatever happens to us in the future, I'll always love you, no matter what. The center will hold, and there's nothing in this universe that will ever come between us."

Ron crossed his heart. "I promise."

Tears of joy were now rolling down Kim's face. She fell into his embrace and kissed him deeply. She relaxed her hug, content with simply staring deeply into his chocolate brown eyes. After a moment she smiled, and uttered a simple 'Booyah.' The dream was just beginning to fade when she was awakened by what seemed to be an unusual noise.

Groggily she mumbled, "Oh, man, I hate it when I wake up from a dream like that before it's over ..."

But Kim's heightened senses included acute hearing, and she snapped her head toward what she now realized was some furtive whispering coming from the next compartment.

"Shego, did you just hear something?"

Only half awake herself, Shego mumbled back, "Uh, no. What did it sound like?"

Not wanting to take any chances, Kim immediately got out of her seat. Yori was likewise instantly awake.

"Shego, stay here, but be ready to fire up your plasma. I think we have some uninvited guests. Yori, you're with me."

They both moved stealthily into the adjoining compartment, which was being used for storage, including their food and water for the trip. The lights were dimmed, and shadows of crates could be seen in the darkness. A tiny but distinct rustling could barely be heard in the rear of the compartment, followed by what sounded like ...

"Crunching?" A perplexed look crossed Kim's face.

Kim motioned for Yori to circle around the far crate, while she approached from the other side. Two small shadowy figures could be seen crouching near the corner. Kim swiftly flared her plasma into life, ready to flame into ashes whoever had invaded their ship. She suddenly stopped short of launching her attack when she recognized the two interlopers, her green plasma lighting up the faces of two very startled young boys. Crumbs of food were falling out of their mouths, hung wide open with surprise.

"The Tweebs! You two are SO dead!"

Jim ventured a weak smile. "Uh, hi, Kim!"

Kim powered down her plasma as Yori switched on the lights.

With fury on her face, Kim demanded, "Ok, you two! Explanation! NOW!"

"Well," Tim began hesitantly, "Your car still needed some tweaking, and we, uh, felt bad not being able to finish everything on the SL Coupe 3.0 before you took off. We just, heh-heh, kinda got stuck inside accidentally, when all of a sudden it was loaded onto the Kepler III."

Kim folded her arms and sternly said, "Yeah, a likely story. You two little stowaways just wanted to get in on the adventure, didn't you? Do you realize how close I just came to roasting you two alive, Shego-style?"

The Tweebs both managed a weak smile as they simply shrugged.

Jim carefully ventured, "Yeah, but you didn't."

Tim continued, "Besides, can you blame us for wanting to get in on the action?"

Kim fixed them both with an icy stare as she angrily replied, "Yes, I can. While you two were stowing away in my car, the Lorwardians decided to begin their invasion of Earth. You both would have been more help and probably seen more _action_ if you had just stayed put."

The Tweebs looked crestfallen. "Oh, man!" Jim whined.

"That's totally not fair!" Tim moaned in agreement.

"Well, that's what you get," Kim smirked. Yori tried to hide a chuckle behind her hand, with dubious success.

Shego entered the compartment. "Hey, what's all the ..." Her glance fell on the two young boys. "Oh. Well, there's the source of that whispering, Kim. So, stowaways, huh?" Shego smiled a wolfish grin. "So, what are we going to do with them? We have a nice airlock right here ..."

"No, Shego, I've got a better idea."

Kim then began to grin with an expression that her brothers had rarely seen before, something like a cross between 'I've got a secret, you're not going to like it, and I'm going to enjoy every sweet moment of it.'

"I think it's time we let them in on our little secret, after which we shouldn't have any further trouble from either of them. Tweebs, meet your new _cousin_, Shego."

Their jaws dropped in unison, every bit of blood draining from their faces with the shock.

In unison they stammered, "C-cousin?"

Kim's smile widened. "Yep. On Mom's side. We all just found out recently. So I'd strongly suggest that if either she or I tell you to do _anything_ at all ..."

The Tweebs gulped in unison at the implicit threat of Kim's unfinished statement. Shego's fearsome reputation was legendary. And now that Kim had Shego's powers, as well as those of the rest of Team Go, any further misbehavior on their part might mean more than just being grounded by Mom and Dad. The word 'vaporized' briefly flashed through Tim's mind.

But after thinking about it for a moment, Jim realized that there might also some very positive aspects to this new development. He looked over at his brother and smiled as all fear suddenly evaporated.

"Cool! With Shego as our cousin ..."

"And a super-powered Kim as our sister ..."

"No one except Mom and Dad will dare touch us! Ever! We'll totally _rule!_"

Jim and Tim began dancing about the compartment, now completely exhilarated by the news.

Shego turned to Kim with a smirk on her face. "Hmm. Not exactly the response you were going for?"

Kim just smiled and shrugged. "Not exactly, but I don't think we'll be getting much trouble from either of them from now on."

She turned back to her brothers. "Okay, guys. If you want us on your side in the future, you'll do exactly what we tell you from now on, starting right now. And I'm not kidding. This mission is going to be dangerous, and I don't want anything happening to either you or the rest of us. Understood?"

They both nodded enthusiastically. "Sure thing, Kim!" they acknowledged.

Kim breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Now, all we know for sure is that Ron and Drakken are going to be pitted against each other in mortal combat very soon. The winner will be declared the Great Blue, who is supposed to lead the Lorwardians into total domination of the galaxy. We've got to prevent that from happening and rescue them both."

Kim then had a disturbing thought. "And hopefully, Warmonga won't recognize you two from your Pep Puppies ploy as the Great Blue. I appreciate you both luring her to Pluto and saving me and Shego, but when she found out that she'd been tricked, she and Warhok invaded Earth, and then blew up Pluto out of spite. I don't think there'd be much left of either of you if she ever got a hold of you two."

The Tweebs shuddered at that thought.

"So once we get to Lorwardia, you guys will remain on the ship while Shego, Yori and I go down to the planet."

They whined in unison, "Aw, Kim ..."

Kim held up a hand to silence them. "No ifs, ands or buts. Besides, we'll need you to protect the ship and warn us if anything unusual happens, so you'll still be doing something important to help. Got it?"

"Got it." They both nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Good. Now if there aren't any other comments from the peanut gallery ..."

Tim spoke up. "Uh, that's great Kim, but what happens after we rescue them? What are we going to do about the Lorwardians? They'll still want their Great Blue back, won't they?"

Shego chuckled and crossed her arms as she looked at Kim. "Out of the mouths of babes ..."

Kim realized that in all the excitement of mounting their rescue mission, she really hadn't thought about how the Lorwardians would react after they recovered Ron and Dr. D. They certainly wouldn't take it lying down, and there was still their ongoing invasion of Earth to worry about.

Kim frowned. "That's a good question. I haven't really had much time to plan that far ahead with everything else going on."

Shego then spoke up. "Well, first I'm going to assume we'll be successful in the rescue. I won't accept any other outcome anyway, not while I'm still alive, at least. Besides, Princess, you're the girl who can do anything, right? And so far, so good, all things considered. But afterwards? Do we just return to Earth and hope that the Lorwardians will have learned their lesson, and that they'll play nice with us and the rest of the galaxy forever after? Not their style exactly."

Shego's eyes began to glimmer with a mixture of barely concealed hate and joyful anticipation. "Or else, we could teach them a lesson they'll never forget, and make sure that they never, _ever_, bother us or anyone else again." She lowered her voice for effect. "Permanently."

Kim hesitated, afraid of what Shego was implying. After the rescue was complete, and with their incredible combined powers, it was conceivable that they could completely annihilate the Lorwardians. But although technically anything might be possible for a Possible, she didn't think that included planet-wide destruction. What Shego was implying was pure genocide, plain and simple.

With horror on her face, Kim replied, "What are you saying, Shego? That we should destroy their entire race? Sorry, but even in war, that's tantamount to murder!"

Shego answered gleefully, "Sure! And why not? For crying out loud, Kim! They're trying to enslave the entire galaxy! It's kill or be killed! Besides, they've kidnapped our ..."

Shego hesitated. As certain as she was now, she was still reluctant to voice her innermost feelings.

"... Our significant others. And this isn't simply preventing some future conflict, Kim. This is payback. This is _revenge_. They took our men and are trying to pit them against each other in some kind of bizarre quest for galactic domination!"

Kim firmly shook her head. "Sorry Shego, but I don't think that the total destruction of Lorwardia is the answer, as much as they may have earned it. Whatever we end up doing here will have massive repercussions not only on Earth, but throughout the galaxy, and will set a huge precedent in the conduct of any future interplanetary relations. Like it or not, we can't afford any missteps, no matter how any of us may feel."

But deep down, Kim could relate to her cousin more than she was willing to openly admit. "But don't get me wrong, Shego. I feel exactly the way you do, too. The diff is how each of us wants to respond."

Yori nodded in agreement. "I must concur with Kim-chan. Genocide is not the answer, not if we want the Earth to be known as builders of peace."

Kim grinned a curious half-smile at Yori's comment. "You know, before all this came down, I was just about to start my first semester at college, ready to begin studying international diplomacy. But now we're on the cutting edge of _interstellar_ diplomacy, which is a totally new sitch for both me _and_ the Earth."

Shego argued back, "Try interstellar _warfare_, Cupcake. And _they_ started it. So don't you agree we should finish it?"

Kim sighed with exasperation. "Yes, I do agree we should finish it, but how? We have a chance here to undo who knows how many years of warfare! But first things first. We need to rescue Ron and Drakken, and then we'll worry about how to put the galaxy back together. Agreed?"

Shego frowned, but nodded in agreement. "Okay, Kim. We'll do things your way, but if anything goes wrong, all bets are off."

Kim's mind reeled with the enormity of their particular challenge. There was so much at stake for what were undoubtedly countless billions of lives. And at the heart of it all lay Ron Stoppable and Dr. Drakken. She sighed heavily under the weight both of future decisions that would need to be made as well as her present physical and mental exhaustion.

Kim wearily continued, "But right now, we could all use some sleep. Once we get to Lorwardia, things are going to get pretty hairy real quick, and there won't be any time to rest until it's all over."

Kim turned to her brothers. "Tweebs, you can stay in this compartment now, while Shego, Yori and I catch some Z's in the command section."

And with that, they all settled down for some well-earned and deeply needed rest. But as the minutes continued to tick by, Kim found it hard to relax. She now began to worry about exactly how they would effect a rescue without bringing down all of Lorwardia right on top of them. Exhausted, she finally drifted off into a restless, uneasy slumber.

* * *

WarOwl grinned his now infuriatingly charming smile at Ron, who waited uneasily for his own psychological trial to begin.

"Well, where shall we begin with you, Mr. Stoppable?" WarOwl voiced that question with equal amounts of ingratiation and sarcasm. "Shall we start with your battle with Warhok and Warmonga?"

He dialed a few commands into the Mind Thresher, then sat back to watch the event unfold. Ron was transported back to the very moment when Warhok had knocked out Kim and was holding her unconscious form up by her leg, smiling with evil joy over his certain victory and Kim's impending doom. Ron discovered like Drakken had that he was unable to affect his virtual trip into the past, reacting now only as an observer to the event.

But in contrast to Drakken's string of failures over the years, this event was the culmination of Ron's personal journey up to this point in his life, and a rather exciting one at that. As he activated his Mystical Monkey Power, he began to enjoy reliving the experience of defending his one true love from certain death. The battle was short, but had WarOwl totally amazed.

"This is incredible! You appear to be only a mere teenager, and not even a very strong one at that. Even compared to others of your own kind and age, you're physically nothing out of the ordinary. But when you activate this power, you become truly extraordinary and practically unstoppable. And what's this?"

Ron was shown gently lifting the unconscious form of Kim to her feet as she slowly began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes. Wordlessly, she peered deep into Ron's eyes with a look not only of amazement, but of deep, pure love.

WarOwl sneered. "Well, it appears that your motivation wasn't just out of competition, nor lust for battle, but out of _love_ as well." Sarcastically he chided, "How sweet. But still very significant. Let's see if I can find out exactly when you two first met, and trace this amazing friendship from the very beginning."

With a few deft twirls of the dial by WarOwl, Ron was taken back to his first day in pre-K, just as he was meeting Kim for the very first time. Even now there was a feeling of friendship and connection, a feeling that somehow they belonged together. At this time of course only as childhood friends, but that friendship would deepen and grow over the years as their adventures together drew them ever closer.

As WarOwl quickly flipped through their teen exploits as Team Possible, he sensed an ever-growing confidence and trust develop between the two. In spite of Ron's pathological fears (and WarOwl rather enjoyed his traumatic experiences at Camp Wannaweep, as well as the sweat that was pouring down his face as he relived that harrowing experience), an acceptance of the other always seemed to be in place, in spite of Kim's rather bossy and controlling nature. Contrasted with her drive and intensity, his easy-going and laissez-faire attitude seemed to continually balance out every adventure they experienced together. Their complimentary temperments meant that he always had her back, and she always had his.

Then came the moment when everything changed for Kim and Ron: their first kiss at the Junior Prom. Right on the heels of Drakken's defeat after the Little Diablo incident, Drakken suddenly realized that his attempt to defeat Kim Possible by using the Synthodrone known as Eric had not only backfired terribly, but that he himself had been the catalyst for Kim and Ron's romance. Dr. Drakken sighed heavily as he continued to watch.

He rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Just great. So _I_ was the one responsible for getting those two together. Yes, irony can be so ironical ..."

A wilted petal from around his neck dropped to the floor in response.

WarOwl also continued to watch, and began to feel a tinge of jealousy. Never had he sensed such commitment between two people, especially two so seemingly opposite in their approach to life. He suddenly realized that this feeling of acceptance was an experience he himself had never had, neither as a child nor as an adult. As a youngling, he had always been cruelly treated due to his small stature which had impeded his combat skills. But he had decided then and there that if he could not become a successful warrior physically, he would become one mentally. This would ultimately lead him to his post today as a nearly indispensable right hand man to Warhafter, the mightiest leader on the planet. And he was now relishing that power to the fullest.

WarOwl smugly thought to himself that Warhafter would be nowhere without him, and that he was in reality the true power behind the throne. And now, he could also enjoy the budding relationship of Kim and Ron, in all of its sweet innocence. And likewise revel in its destruction, out of pure spite, simply because he could. Perhaps this was a character trait of all Lorwardians, perhaps it was just him. But whatever the reason, he was enjoying this tremendously.

He continued to experience the vicarious thrill of Kim and Ron's recent courtship, as well as gain valuable intel on how they planned to defend Earth. And as try as he might, Ron found himself unable to prevent WarOwl from discovering either Earth's defensive secrets, or his own deeply personal ones.

"Ah! Your blueprint for resisting us is ingenious. I'm sure that Warhafter will be very interested in _all_ of your stratagems. And your advanced training in the mental disciplines with this Sensei and Yori is also quite enlightening. We will of course need to destroy Yamanouchi at our earliest opportunity to prevent the training of any further Mystical Monkey Masters. We certainly can't afford to let any more mystical mayhem _monkey_ with our plans, now, can we?"

He let out an evil belly laugh, infuriating Ron with his deliberate sarcasm.

A feeling of anger began to burn deep within Ron. He had to do something, anything, to prevent WarOwl from revealing either the secrets of Earth or of Yamanouchi to anyone, let alone that the safety of both Sensei and Yori now hung in the balance.

WarOwl continued to speed through recent events, relishing Kim and Ron's rapidly approaching nuptials. Somehow he sensed that their increasingly strong romantic feelings and devotion to each other were inextricably entwined with Ron's mastery of the elusive Mystical Monkey Power.

"Warmonga did inform me of her plan to use your feelings for each other to her advantage in capturing you and Dr. Drakken, especially as you both would be particularly distracted on your wedding day. Let's take a look at that event now, shall we?"

Up until now Ron had only felt a sense of helplessness in the face of WarOwl's infernal mind device. But now, he began to feel almost violated, forced to share this deeply personal and beautiful event with one so insidiously evil.

As WarOwl made a few final adjustments of his dials, the scene changed to Ron and Kim's abortive wedding day. Ron tried to resist, knowing now that this exquisitely wonderful ceremony was about to be disrupted in a most horrible way, and that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The ceremony began to play out once again, like some kind of ethereal version of virtual reality. Every aspect was just as he had remembered it: the music, the vows, the exchange of rings, and most importantly, Kim. Kim Possible, his love and his very life. Beautiful Kim, adorned in her elegant wedding dress, the very embodiment of perfection and beauty. Kim, the soon to be Mrs. Stoppable, but for Warmonga's impending and all too cruel intervention.

In the present, tears began to trickle down his face, brought on by a combination of remembered joy and impeding, inescapable disaster. Inevitably the wedding turned quickly to chaos as Warmonga's force beams wrenched off the roof of the church sanctuary, abducting him and Drakken and leaving the church in shambles. But not before he began to activate his Mystical Monkey Power. So intense were his feelings then, as well as in the here and now, that his power began to spontaneously activate. Incredibly, his bindings began to overload, no longer able to contain the incredible power now coursing through his body from both his past and present.

WarOwl was aghast at this totally unexpected development. If Ron should break free, there would be no telling what might happen. He quickly activated the laboratory's defensive weapons. Not a moment too soon, as Ron suddenly broke free. His charred bindings clattered to the floor, its smoking wiring spitting out huge arcs of electricity.

With freedom now apparently only moments away, Drakken yelled out, "Yes! Go Ron!" Filled with the first real hope he'd had in days, he spontaneously sprouted a multi-colored floral bouquet from around his neck.

Pulsing with the blue energy of his fully activated Mystical Monkey Power, Ron now fixed WarOwl with a baleful glare. The automatic laser automatically opened fire, striking Ron squarely in the chest. The powerful beam undoubtedly would have killed a normal man, but only fazed Ron temporarily. The look of fear on WarOwl's face gave Ron great pleasure. But it only took WarOwl a moment to increase the laser's power to maximum, and with another terrifying burst of energy, the beam again struck Ron. He fell to the floor, unconscious. His tuxedo now had a large, smoking hole in its center, an ugly scorch mark seared across his now bare chest.

Drakken's brief joy quickly turned to disappointment. "Oh, snap. Here we go again ..."

Guards immediately rushed into the room, their heavy weapons drawn. WarOwl was panting heavily, shaking in fear at his close call.

"Get him back into some stronger bindings. Quickly!"

While the guards rushed to comply, the comm channel chimed. A subaltern appeared on the screen.

"WarOwl, Warhafter demands an update on the Great Blue. He commands you to appear before him immediately in the Great Hall. He also has received some news regarding the Earth blockade that he wishes to share with you personally."

WarOwl swore under his breath. "What frackled timing! This could not have happened at a more inopportune moment."

He snapped his head toward the guards and barked out a command. "Keep watch outside this lab until I return. No one except myself or Warhafter is to enter without my express order. And should either of them attempt to escape, activate the emergency alert button, which will lock down the entire facility."

He smiled grimly. "Our guests must not be given free reign prematurely. I will not be long."

With that promise to the now uneasy guards, he shakily left to give Warhafter his update.

* * *

_So, what news does Warhafter need to reveal to WarOwl? And will Team Possible and the Tweebs streak in to save the day in the nick of time, or will they be ... too late? Update soon, but not soon enough ..._

_MA_


	21. Ultimate Evil

_Well, the new chapter is up, but be forewarned: there will be new and terrifying developments. And as this story gets closer to the end, I'll do by best to continue to update once a week, every Friday. _

_Many thanks to MrDrP, saragil, Liselle129, mileslacey, JCS1966, ricreaper, princessvmlg, Grandmaster T, unwrittenaria, Katsumara, CajunBear73 and Eddy 13 for reviewing, and everyone else for reading. And if you leave a review, you'll get a reply from yours truly. _

_So hold on tight and read on, if you dare ..._

* * *

WarOwl walked down the long, wide corridor toward the Great Hall where Warhafter awaited him. There were very few times that Warhafter had ever commanded him to appear before him in this place, so this audience with the Emperor of Lorwardia was not going to be merely for a simple update. There must be grave news of great import, so either Warhafter's news must be very good, or very bad. After Ron's near escape, he could certainly use some good news right now, but he held out little hope for that.

He took a deep breath as he walked up to the huge doors of the gigantic hall. The two guards hardly noticed him as he approached, but opened the ancient doors for him nevertheless. He entered and walked down the thick carpet, deeply embroidered with the ancient runes of Lorwardia which recalled their many glorious victories. For over two hundred years, they had maintained an unbroken string of conquests, but WarOwl had a sinking feeling that something may have just happened to mar that amazing record.

As he approached the throne, he saw Warhafter seated upon it. He did not look happy. Even more disturbing was that he was not wearing his Cloak of Victory, but his Cloak of Warfare, signifying a military campaign not yet won. WarOwl bowed low before the mighty ruler.

"I am here at your command, O Great Warhafter. What is thy bidding?"

Warhafter sighed. "Rise, WarOwl. First, your update on the quest for the Great Blue's identity."

WarOwl swallowed hard. "The trial continues, my Lord. I now have strong indications of what the final result will be, and I do not believe that it will take much longer to make the final determination. I am also happy to report that I have also gained valuable intelligence regarding Earth's defense plans. However, such is the importance of this trial to our entire race that I do not wish to hasten the process unduly."

Warhafter frowned. "Hasten it as quickly as possible, my sycophantic friend. Warfalkon, the commander of Earth's blockade, is dead. He and his crew perished along with the crew of two other ships when a mysterious comet appeared suddenly and destroyed them. Our ancient texts speak of that evil portent, and I now fear a dismal outcome in our campaign against Earth."

He gestured angrily as he continued with his bitter diatribe. "Furthermore, the next in command of the armada has foolishly decided on a precipitous ground attack after an apparently rogue battlecruiser blasted its way through our blockade, destroying several more ships in the process. That's five ships lost, WarOwl. We haven't lost that many ships in one campaign for over a hundred years. And that rogue ship was last spotted heading toward Lorwardia, but no one now seems to be able to locate that frackled ship."

WarOwl's mouth opened wordlessly, unable to reply to this disastrous news.

Warhafter's face darkened even further. "It gets worse. Incredibly, the humans have been able to resist many of our initial attacks, and our offensive has ground to a halt. Apparently, they have even defended themselves with weapons of our own type and design, no doubt salvaged from Warhok's initial attack."

With a wistful grin, he continued. "These humans learn very quickly. They remind me of us in many ways, my friend, especially our habit of reverse engineering new military technology from captured worlds for our own use. This alone is disturbing, but when combined with their unprecedented resistance, it could spell the beginning of the end for us. Should they actually prevail, it would send shock waves throughout the galaxy, and our domination of countless planets would be at risk. If the conquered worlds regain any hope for freedom from our rule, our grasp will quickly wither and die."

Warhafter fixed WarOwl with an implacable stare. "If we are to defeat Earth and maintain our domination over the galaxy, we need the Great Blue. _Now_."

"But Sire, what of the High Council? Shouldn't they be ..."

"To _hell_ with the High Council!" Warhafter yelled, pounding his fist down on his throne. "This is _war!_ And we have no time left for debate!"

WarOwl froze in place, terrified of what Warhafter would do next.

The ruler's deep resonating voice dropped even further as he menacingly continued. "You have been given some marvelous equipment to play with, which in the past has helped me to maintain an iron grip on Lorwardia and all its conquests. That is why I've let you keep them. But if you fail to give me results, and quickly, you will have no further need of your wonderful toys."

His tone suddenly became nonchalant. "However, you may instead need a headstone for your burial plot. Do I make myself clear, WarOwl?"

Mortal fear gripped WarOwl as his knees began to shake. "Very clear, my Lord. So, if you will excuse me, I have a Great Blue to confirm."

Warhafter nodded to him in dismissal as WarOwl beat a hasty path back to his lab.

* * *

Dr. Drakken had lost track of how much time had passed. He noticed that Ron was still breathing, but as his still form hadn't moved for quite some time, he began to fear that Ron might be more seriously injured than he first thought.

"Uh, Ron, can you hear me? Are you awake? Hello?"

Ron slowly began to regain consciousness, his body drained of the blue power that had just nearly won them both their freedom.

Groggily he muttered, "Whoa. That laser sure packs a strong punch." He looked down at his still smoking tux. "Oh, man! Now for sure I won't get my deposit back ..."

He looked down at his pants pocket, concerned about the well being of his favorite pet and close friend. He quietly whispered, "Hey, Rufus! Still with me, little guy?"

Rufus tentatively poked his head out and nodded.

"Okay Rufus. This machine needs to be taken down. It's way too wrongsick to be left in the hands of this maniac. Try to sabotage it any way you can. It may be our only hope in preventing WarOwl from learning any of the secrets of my Mystical Monkey Power. Then we'll try to escape, somehow."

Rufus quickly nodded in acknowledgement and skittered to the floor, trying to find some way to access the inner workings of WarOwls's devilish device. But at that moment, Warowl returned. He did not look happy.

"Ah, you're awake. Good. You too, Dr. Drakken? Well, you'll be happy to know that events have transpired which require me to hasten our little trial."

Ron's face lit up with a glimmer of hope. He prayed that these events included the impending arrival of a particular rescue mission led by a certain beautiful redhead. "Events? What kind of events?"

WarOwl held up a hand. "Not so fast, young one. But I'll be happy to share that with the Great Blue."

Ron frowned. "So not going to happen, WarOwl. Neither Drakken nor I are going to cooperate any longer. I think it's only a matter of time before we're rescued, so there's no way you're going to force us to fight each other. And if you think that threatening to destroy Earth will make us cooperate, you've got another bon-diggity thing coming. If you destroy the Earth, we'll destroy you, or die trying. And there goes your little dream of galactic conquest. Right Dr. D?"

Drakken looked a little apprehensive. "Well, the word _death_ seems to be a little harsh, but I'm with Ron on this." Gaining a little courage, he continued. "And I don't think Warhafter would be particularly pleased with our demise, either. But if that's what it takes, I'd rather go out with a bang rather than a whimper." A long absent grin began to form on his face as he silently hoped that Shego would arrive soon enough to make that option unnecessary.

The anger and frustration on WarOwl's face let Ron know that he had hit very close to the mark. Nevertheless, WarOwl kept his fury under tight control. He wasn't about to let this young upstart foil his plans or jeopardize the future of Lorwardia. He soon began to smile wickedly as an idea formed within his devious mind.

"Very well, youngling. You leave me no choice. If neither of _you_ will cooperate willingly ..."

He began to smile even wider, not with his usual pleasant obsequiousness, but with a wolfish grin bordering on the maniacal. He began to enter several commands into the Mind Sifter.

"Goodbye, Ron. And hello ... Zorpox, was it now?"

Ron immediately recoiled in horror. "Zorpox? No! You can't! Believe me, you really don't want to do that, WarOwl. Just hold on, maybe we can still work something out!" He desperately tried to think of anything that would buy him some more time. But time apparently had just run out.

WarOwl began to laugh, sending shivers down Ron's spine. "Too late, Ron Stoppable. You had your chance. Perhaps Zorpox will be more amenable to assist us in galactic conquest. And when combined with that mystical energy of yours, the mantle of the Great Blue should be a _perfect_ fit."

As WarOwl made another twist of the dial, Drakken bemoaned, "Of that I have no doubt ..."

Ron was instantly taken back to the moment when Zorpox had begun setting into motion his plan for world conquest. Just as before, the present Ron was forced into being an unwilling observer of his villainous incarnation, and there was nothing he could do to resist his alter ego's diabolical plan. A malevolent rendition of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d minor began playing, forming the musical backdrop for this excursion into the virtual reality of the Mind Thresher.

Zorpox triumphantly announced, "The annihilator has been set to go off in five minutes. When it does quakes are going to shake the world to pieces! _Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha!_"

Shego was presently Zorpox's reluctant sidekick. She sneered, "_So_ done with the laugh. Ok, wait, this helps us how? We'll be shaken apart too."

Zorpox sneered with evil delight. "It'll never get that far. The world will surrender to me first. Not us, me! You're just the hired help!"

Non-plussed with his egotistical answer, she merely replied, "Oh, really?"

She instantly launched a bright green bolt of plasma directly at Zorpox, only to have it bounce harmlessly off of a force screen he had quickly activated.

Zorpox grinned, "Hmm, cool, huh? I found it in Drakken's stuff. Bet he never even knew how to work it. You're all like, oh you're like, _p__ow-pow_, and I was like, z_ap-zap_ and now you're all like, all like, _b__oo-hoo! _Sidekicks need to know their place, right?"

He flipped a switch and a hidden panel opened up in the floor next to Shego, revealing a sickly green pool full of sharks. She made an immediate about face in attitude.

"Uh, yeah, um, you got it! I'll just go check the security monitors. Hey, you know that evil laugh of yours? I love it! _LLLOVE IT!_"

Zorpox turned back to his control panel and gleefully announced, "I'm ready for you Kim Possible! Bring! _Wah, wah-hah,_ _wah-ha-ha-ha-hah!_"

WarOwl cheerfully observed the unfolding drama. There was no doubt now that he had finally discovered the perfect manifestation of the Great Blue for his evil purposes. Warhafter would be pleased, at least for the moment. That is, until he could enact his _own_ plans ...

A light appeared on Zorpox's control panel. "_Woo-hoo_, we've got an intruder: Kim Possible! Get ready for a smackdown in my town!"

Shego was perplexed. "She's not on the monitors. How do you know?"

Zorpox shot back, "I've been doing a little _scannage_ for the Kimmunicator's frequency."

Shego uttered in frustration, "Urgh! Now why didn't _he_ ever think of that?"

Zorpox bragged, "That's why I'm the big dog! Woof, woof! _Bark!_"

WarOwl continued to adjust the controls on the Mind Thresher. A feeling of panic began to overwhelm Ron as he suddenly felt his conscious mind begin to slip away.

Ron grimaced in pain. "What ... what's happening to me?"

WarOwl simply smiled as he continued to manipulate the controls.

Ron thrashed uselessly against his bindings. "No ... no! Somehow he's ... he's turning me into Zorpox!"

A wicked laugh from WarOwl confirmed his worst fears. "Yes, young Stoppable. This is another wonderful attribute of my lovely device. It can pull the personality of an individual out of the past and place it in the present. Or in this case, your wonderfully wicked alter ego. In another few moments, you'll be gone, and Zorpox will be in total and complete control of your _present_ body."

As the dark organ music continued to play ominously in the background, the tableaux from the past continued to play out toward its terrifying conclusion.

"Welcome, Kimberly Ann Possible!" Zorpox announced with glee.

Kim was simply underwhelmed by his greeting. "The middle name is _so_ overkill."

"Overkill? Isn't that idea? _Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!_"

Kim was suddenly grabbed by four flexible metal arms that clamped around her wrists and ankles, holding her tight as Zorpox continued to laugh maniacally.

The present Ron tried to resist the Mind Sifter's implacable progress. He would not be the instrument of Kim's capture if he could possibly help it, but his strength was rapidly waning.

"No! I can't ... _I won't ... hurt ... Kim _..."

The intensity of Ron's struggle to stop Zorpox from hurting Kim was so strong that he began to separate his spirit from his body in the here and now. He furiously attempted to put some distance between his waning mind from his body, now increasingly under Zorpox's control.

The past Kim had in the meantime freed herself from her bonds, attracting the notice of Shego.

"Oh, look, Kimmie came out to play!"

Zorpox smirked at Kim. "Not bad, but let's be honest. You could have gotten out of it faster."

Kim shot back, "Game over, Ron!"

The present Ron gritted his teeth as he tried to call out a name. He found to his dismay that he was now paralyzed and unable to move or speak. But he could still communicate with his mind, and now called out to the only one who could help at present.

_"__Rufus ..."_

Rufus' tiny head popped up out of a panel he'd managed to pry open on the Mind Thresher.

Zorpox sneered, "Over? I'm just getting warmed up! The annihilator was to keep you busy while I worked on my _real_ evil plan, my Mega-Weather-Generator!"

_"n__ow ..."_

Shego cocked an eyebrow. "Your _what_-a-rator? I mean, is it too much to ask to be kept in the loop?"

_"w__ould be ..."_

Zorpox threw the switch that raised the Mega-Weather-Generator through the opening in the roof of Drakken's lab and into the sky. Dark clouds began to gather around the infernal device. Meanwhile in the present, ominous clouds also began to form over Lorwardia Prime, blocking out the nearly omnipresent sun. The residents of the city looked up apprehensively at the darkening sky.

_"a__ good ..."_

Zorpox was now on the verge of total victory. "All will fear me and tremble beneath my storms, and then hand over to me the world's supply of Nacos! _Booyah!_ _Ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!"_

_"t__ime ..."_

Lightning bolts began to strike the Mega-Weather-Generator. And at that moment, a bolt of lightning outside WarOwl's laboratory likewise streaked out of the sky and struck just as Rufus bit through a critical circuit within the Mind Thresher. A gigantic flash lit up WarOwl's lab as the Mind Thresher shorted out in a huge shower of sparks. The power throughout the building was knocked out completely, tripping circuit breakers and plunging the room into darkness.

"No!" WarOwl cried out in frustration. "_No! What's happening?_"

Ron convulsed violently as a massive jolt of energy shot through his body, knocking him unconscious and sending his spirit spiraling out of control directly toward the astral plane. That same jolt was powerful enough to once again short out his bindings, which now clattered noisily to the floor. As the emergency lights activated, WarOwl peered through the acrid smoke at what he thought was now the lifeless form of Ron Stoppable.

But the figure which now stood before WarOwl was unfazed by the shock. His red eyes opened slowly and focused on WarOwl. The grin that appeared on that hideous blue face widened with inhuman joy, sending chills down WarOwl's spine. For the source of that blue color was not that of Ron's Mystical Monkey Power, but one of evil. Pure evil. The figure spoke.

"I'm _baaaack_ ..."

Drakken fearfully muttered, "Oh, snap ..."

Zorpox had returned.

* * *

The Kepler III dropped back into normal space just outside the boundary of the Pleiades star cluster. It was an awesome sight, and one not viewed this closely by any human before, save for one. Shego looked out of the front viewport at the glittering nebula, glowing incandescently from the nine hottest blue-white stars.

"Well, Kimmie, here we are. Shall we play eeny-meeny-miny-mo, or is there any other way to narrow down our choices?"

Kim turned to Yori and asked, "Can you sense anything, Yori?"

Yori concentrated briefly, but only looked back at Kim with a perplexed look. "It is strange, Kim-chan, but I do not sense Stoppable-sama's presence. He could be asleep, or otherwise preoccupied."

But no sooner had she uttered those words than the Lotus Blade began vibrating rapidly, pointing directly at one of the larger stars in the cluster: 27 Tauri, known on Earth as Atlas.

Kim smiled. "Well, there's our compass. Shego, set course for that star, best possible speed."

Shego smiled in return as she punched the controls. "Aye, aye, Capn' Kimmie!"

But the more Yori concentrated, the more uneasy she became. She sensed a presence, but not a pleasant one. It was Ron, but not quite Ron. She gasped as she suddenly recognized the presence of great evil, one she had experienced briefly only once before, when she first joined her mind together with Ron. And that evil had a name.

Zorpox.

* * *

Ron quickly regained control as he projected his spirit further onto the astral plane. Casting all sense of safety aside, he desperately began to reach out to Kim as quickly as possible. As he started his hazardous trek, he tried to choke down the incredible sense of fear that threatened to overwhelm him. If he wasn't successful in reaching her to warn of this unexpected turn of events, he might end up being lost forever, permanently split into his two personas, with no hope of recovery or reassimilation.

_"Oh, man! On a scale of one to ten, this rates about an eleven on my gorchy meter ..."_

As he recklessly sped toward his goal, he failed to notice that the mystical tether connecting his body and spirit was beginning to stretch, growing thinner by the moment. He sped on through the ether of the astral realm, ignorant of the developing danger.

_"__Must ... focus. Must ... not ... stop ..."_

Traveling at a speed unimaginable in real space, he pressed on, reaching out to Kim with every fiber of his mind, soul and spirit. Suddenly, he encountered a strange resistance as he continued to move forward. But the resistance he felt wasn't coming from ahead of him. He felt a tension tugging on his mystical cord, as if something, or someone, was grasping onto it and trying to hold him back. Ron's panic increased.

_"Zorpox ..."_

The tension on the thinning filament continued to increase as he valiantly tried to move forward. He blindly rushed on, knowing that if wasn't able to reach Kim to warn her, she and the rest of the new Team Possible would no doubt be flying right into some kind of deadly trap. But the harder he struggled against the pull, the slower his forward momentum became.

_"__Zorpox must know what I'm trying to do, which is just so wrongsick. And if he gains control of my Mystical Monkey Power, there may be no stopping him or the Lorwardians ..."_

At that thought, he redoubled his perilous effort. But he was slowing down even more, and his delicate lifeline continued to thin ominously.

_"__Well, my motto is to never be normal, so I'll have to try Plan B. Something that Zorpox might not expect."_

He slowed down ever so slightly and began to concentrate intensely.

_"__I may not be able to reach Kim directly, but there's someone else I may be able to reach if I can only get her to come to me."_

As his spirit's brow furrowed in deep concentration, he opened his mind and focused on the one person he knew he could reach in time.

_"__Yori ..."_

Back on the Kepler III, the young ninja was deep within a meditative state as she tried to discern the reason behind the evil presence she had just sensed. As her mind slowly began to unwind and relax, she began to dream a strange dream. She was back at Yamanouchi on a warm summer day. Ron stood before her, smiling. His blond hair ruffled in the silent breeze, his chocolate brown eyes fixed on her with more warmth and depth than she had ever experienced before. His arm rose with an open hand outstretched to her, beckoning her to come to him. She tried to take a step forward, but found herself frozen in place, unable to move. Suddenly he began to recede from her, moving away ever faster, a look of deep pain and sorrow etched into his features.

With a sharp intake of breath, she suddenly snapped wide awake.

_"__Ron-san!" _

She could still sense his unmistakable presence. The sensation of his unique mind left a palpable feeling within her own. She realized with terrifying clarity that this was no dream, and that Ron was frantically trying to reach her. She paled as she realized that he was in mortal danger.

Kim was startled by Yori's outcry.

"Yori! What is it?"

Yori quickly held up her hand for silence. "Ron-san is in trouble. He is desperately trying to contact us."

By the look on Yori's usually calm face, Shego instantly realized how serious this was. She also feared what it might have to do with Drakken. If they were in combat with each other, and someone was about to win ... Her eyes darted back and forth between the two teens, a look of apprehension clouding her face. She deeply longed to know what was happening, but realized that she didn't dare interrupt now.

Yori closed her eyes, trying to empty her mind of every distraction as she concentrated on reaching out to Ron. She strained with every fiber of her being, drawing on her years of training in the mystical arts. Ron's very life could now depend on her abilities. Her sharp intake of breath revealed to to those present that she had just succeeded.

A look of peace came over her face. "Ron-san. I am here. Come to me."

Ron was elated that he had nearly reached his goal. His mind strained to bridge the chasm between him and Yori. Every fiber of his being tried to close the final gap as his mystical tether stretched to the breaking point.

_"__Yori! Zorpox has taken control of my physical body! Watch our for ..."_

But the continuous strain had been too great. His cord quickly began to fray, unraveling under the incredible tension. With one last sickening wrench from Zorpox, the last filament finally snapped. Ron let out a psychic scream which pierced to the very core of Yori's soul. Even Kim could sense his final cry, as Yori's eyes went wide with fear.

"Ron-san! _No!_"

The Lotus Blade, which had continued to float in the air as it pointed the way toward the Mystical Monkey Master, now clattered lifelessly to the floor.

The horror on Yori's face confirmed Kim's worst fear. Yori slowly turned to face Kim. Tears began to form, streaming down the smooth, dark skin of her face.

"Ron-san ... is gone."

Kim chocked back a sob.

"Gone, as in ... dead?"

Yori nodded slowly in response, unable to voice her answer aloud.

Kim looked back at Yori through eyes now blurring with hot tears.

"No ... _no!_ It can't be ... it's not true ... this ... this can't be happening ... not after all we've gone through to reach him ... not when we're so close ... _so close _..."

A cold and terrible realization began to grip Kim's heart like an icy hand.

She began to sob uncontrollably. "Ron ... I can't believe you're really gone ... Ron ... please don't leave me ... I love you so much ..."

Shego looked at the grief-stricken Kim, now barely able to remain standing.

"I'm ... I'm so sorry, Kim. I ... don't know what to say."

Kim simply reached out to Shego and hugged her tightly as a new torrent of sobs wracked her entire body. Shego gently returned the hug, softly patting Kim's back as she tried to comfort her grieving cousin and friend.

Jim and Tim rushed into the tiny cabin, wondering what had caused the sudden commotion. "What's going on?"

Yori gently ushered them both back out of the cockpit. She spoke softly, barely being able to hold back her own tears.

"Please honor your sister by leaving her alone right now. Stoppable-sama ... is dead."

_

* * *

__Can it be? Have wedding bells finally given way to the tolling of a funeral dirge for Ron? And with a soulless Zorpox as the Great Blue, how will Team Possible be able to prevent the Lorwardians from taking over the galaxy? Update in one week ..._


	22. Evil Star Rising

_As promised, here's the update you've been anxiously waiting for. Questions will be answered, and new questions posed. And many thanks to Liselle129, JCS1966, princessvmlg, Grandmaster T, Katsumara, CajunBear73, Eddy 13 and MegKevin for reviewing, and to everyone else for reading (and for not killing me over the events of the last chapter). Just remember that it's not over until the fat lady sings, so the saying goes. So read on, my friends. And should you leave a review, you can expect a reply. And possibly hints of what's to come ... _

* * *

A somber mood prevailed on the Kepler III. As they sat in grim silence, each grieved in their own way over the loss of their friend. As the ship continued to speed toward Lorwardia, Kim was lost deep within her own thoughts. She recalled what Shego had said only a little earlier. _"Well, first I'm going to assume we'll be successful in the rescue. I won't accept any other outcome anyway, not while I'm still alive, at least."_

Now, those words rang hollow. They had failed to get there in time, and now Ron was gone. The deep sense of loss she now felt was beyond anything she had ever experienced before. But one question still burned in her mind.

_"__How did this happen? Was Ron actually defeated in combat, or did he die valiantly in an attempt to save both himself and Drakken?"_

She decided immediately that the latter was how she would remember him, a true hero to the very end.

_"__Ron, I swear that I will honor your memory as long as I live. You didn't ask for this, and you didn't deserve what happened. I'll never forget you, and I'll always love you ..."_

Another tear fell down her rosy cheek. She began to consider taking a page from Shego's playbook and exact a terrible revenge on all those who had been responsible for taking her fiancé from her. But she shook that thought away as she tried to clear her mind and decide what their next move should be. One grim thought kept returning.

_"__If Drakken's still alive, he might already have been declared the Great Blue."_

In spite of his recent turnabout in attempting to take over the world, that new title and the power that came with it could quickly change him back into his old megalomaniacal self. If so, both the Earth and the galaxy could be doomed, and it would be up to the new Team Possible to stop him. But if that were true, she was now faced with a new problem.

_"__But if Drakken's the Great Blue now, which side will Shego choose? She's switched sides before on a whim ..."_

Like Drakken, she had sworn off her evil ways for that blanket pardon. But if Drakken was now the Great Blue and had all the mighty forces of Lorwardia at his command ... Kim shuddered at the thought. No, as grief-stricken as she was, there was still a mission to be performed and questions to be answered first. And those answers could now only be found on Lorwardia.

_"__No. I won't jump to any conclusions yet. First I need to figure out what happened, then I'll decide what to do. And give Shego the benefit of the doubt until then."_

Shego likewise was in a pensive mood.

_"__Well, the Ronster's really gone. And I'm gonna miss him."_

She honestly empathized with Kim over her loss, and even felt grief herself over losing her erstwhile adversary. She and Ron had never really become close friends, their awkweird kiss and accidental meetings notwithstanding, but she knew that they would have eventually. Now, with Ron gone and Drakken's status still undetermined, this was a whole new ball game. And one burning question remained in her mind.

_"__If Stoppable is gone, is Dr. D now the Great Blue?"_

A few minutes ago it had been all so simple: rescue Drakken and Ron, and level Lorwardia. Well, if Kim would let her, that is. Now, she was once again torn, but this time it was between her love for Drakken and her friendship with Kim. If Drakken was now the Great Blue, would he still need rescuing, or would he even want to be? And if he had beaten Ron, had he dealt the fatal blow? If so, there was one super-powered teen heroine who would be hell-bent for revenge. And if she was forced to make a choice between Kim's friendship and Drakken ...

Shego just shook her head in confusion. _"__Crap. Why do things always have to be so complicated? Things were so much simpler when I was evil ..."_

* * *

Zorpox's eyes darted around the unfamiliar lab, still barely lit by the emergency lights. A pall of smoke continued to hang in the air, and the acrid smell of burnt wiring and overloaded circuits caused him to crinkle up his nose in irritation.

"Hmm, the smell of defeat, which would be par for the course if Drakken had anything to do with this. But this is no longer his lab ... so where exactly am I?"

His gaze locked back on WarOwl. Angrily he demanded, "Who are you, and what is this place?"

The Lorwardian bowed slightly. "I am WarOwl, and I welcome you to the planet Lorwardia. Dr. Zorpox, I presume?"

"No, Zorpox the _Conqueror_. I'm not a doctor, but anyone who gets in my way will be needing one quick! Starting with you, if you don't tell me exactly how I got here!"

WarOwl continued to smile. "All in due time, Zorpox. A full explanation would take some time, but suffice it to say that I've used a device called the Psychotronic Historical Analyzer to bring your ... _unique_ incarnation across time and space to this planet. You are the leading contender for the title of the Great Blue, whose destiny it is to lead the Lorwardians into glorious domination of the galaxy. How does that sound to you?"

"Coolio, but how does 'too good to be true' sound? I wasn't born yesterday, you know. I'll need more than the word of some green-skinned alien pretender before I ..."

He stopped in mid-sentence as he spied Dr. Drakken, apparently still bound in his energy cuffs. "Well, Drakken! You're here too? That's just too funny! _Wah-hah-hah-hah-hah!_ I suppose you're also in line for the job of Great Blue? Well, I call _dibs_ until I can figure this sitch out! _Booyah-ha-ha-hah!_"

He took a closer look at Drakken. "And it looks like you and I both share the same lovely shade of blue again, compared to just a few moments ago when you had your, ooh, your _goody-goody_ pink skin. So I take it you're back to your evil self now as well, hmm?"

Drakken began to sweat as he feared what might happen to him next. "Well, in a matter of speaking, perhaps. And, uh, I bow to your superior dib-calling."

WarOwl however, looked perplexed. Zorpox didn't seem to recall the events of the past few hours.

"Uh, Zorpox, if I may ask, what do you mean 'as opposed to a few moments ago?' What do you remember just before appearing here?"

Zorpox frowned. "I remember that I was on the verge of taking over the world with my Mega-Weather-Generator, before you snatched victory from my evil grasp!" He began to advance menacingly on WarOwl.

WarOwl was astounded. "You mean, you don't remember anything about the past few hours, as I probed the memories of both you and Dr. Drakken?"

"No. Should I?" he sneered.

"Nor anything else that's transpired since that moment in time I just pulled you from? Why, that's nearly a year and a half ago! You don't remember your courtship of Kim Possible during your senior year in high school?"

Now it was Zorpox's turn to be surprised. "What? Zorpox the Conqueror and that, that _goody-two-shoes_ Kimberly Ann Possible? _Dating?_" He made the sound of a raspberry to show his obvious distaste.

"How about your incredible battle with Warhok and Warmonga, our two greatest warriors? You defeated them and saved Earth by activating your Mystical Monkey Power."

Zorpox cocked an eyebrow. "I do recall having Mystical Monkey Power, but for Ron it always seemed to come and go." He smiled. "So, I defeated them by using these powers, huh?"

"Yes. You activated them when Kim Possible's life was being directly threatened by Warhok. After that, you returned to the Yamanouchi School for your final training in the mystical arts."

He looked up as he recalled the distant memory. "Yes, I remember Yamanouchi from several years ago, as well as a very powerful weapon: the Lotus Blade. So you're saying that I had all this within my grasp until just a few moments ago, and by meddling in my past, you've taken that _away?_" He again began to angrily advance on WarOwl.

WarOwl paled as he began backing up against the wall of his lab. "Well, yes, but ..."

Zorpox grabbed him by the throat as he bit out his words with deadly intent. "Yes, but what?"

"Yes, but perhaps I can restore your memories with the ... the Psychotronic Historical Analyzer." He refrained from calling it by its nickname, the Mind Thresher, for fear of how Zorpox would react to that appellation.

"How?" He gestured to the wrecked Mind Thresher. "With this useless mass of scrap wiring? You've stolen my recent memories, and with them, the key to activating my power? The power I could now be using to rule not only your pitiful planet, _but the entire galaxy?_"

There was murderous rage in his voice, as he continued to squeeze WarOwl's throat. His eyes began to glow blue as he easily lifted WarOwl off of the floor with one hand.

WarOwl gasped for breath. "Maybe ... I ... can ... repair ... it?"

Zorpox spat back, "Is there anyone else besides you who could?"

"No ... only ... me."

Zorpox considered this for a moment before relaxing his grip. "You have gained your life back, but only temporarily. However, if you can't repair it, consider yourself dead. Understood?"

Zorpox dropped him ignominiously to the floor as he desperately gasped for breath.

"Of course, of course! But don't you see? In your extreme anger, you were just able to activate your power! I'll naturally try to repair the device as soon as possible, but that's the key for you now, just as your love for Kim Possible was then."

Zorpox snidely replied, "Correction: _Ron's _love for Kim. I'm Zorpox now. One hundred percent! _Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-hah!_" A devilish grin appeared on his face as he suddenly had an idea. "So, my Mystical Monkey Power can be activated by my anger, hmm? And with this power I defeated not one, but two of your mightiest warriors?"

WarOwl nodded. "That's right."

"So tell me, who needs to confirm me as the Great Blue?"

"That would be me. And as of now, I officially declare you ... The Great Blue!"

Zorpox gave a deprecating wave of his hand. "Yes, yes, very nice, but doesn't your ruler, or, or commander-in-chief or, like, whoever is ultimately in charge need to announce that to your planet? You seem to function like a sidekick, and sidekicks don't go around making great declarations like that. And sidekicks need to know their place! _Wah, wah-ha-ha-ha!_"

WarOwl grimaced at the putdown, but answered evenly, "Well, yes, that would be our supreme ruler, the mighty Warhafter."

"And where can I find this, this _oh-so-mighty_ Warhafter?"

"I can take you to him immediately. He will be extremely pleased to meet you." He thought offhandedly, _And I'll be pleased to introduce you, since it will definitely save my neck._

"That would be ... _badical!_ _Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-ha-hah!_" Zorpox pointed at the Mind Thresher. "After that, I'll need you to repair this equipment as soon as possible so that _all_ my memories can be restored! Then, all will bow to _me!_ _Wah,_ _Wah-__ha-ha-hah!_"

While Zorpox and WarOwl were distracted by their discussion, Rufus quietly scurried over to Drakken, who was paying close attention to the conversation.

He mumbled, "Well, at least I'm still alive for the moment ..."

Rufus quickly put a tiny paw on his mouth and quieted Drakken with a shush.

Drakken whispered back, "Hmm, I guess I should just shut up and continue to listen to what's going on?"

Rufus nodded quickly in agreement as he hid behind some wiring.

WarOwl scratched his chin. "Well, then. Let me have you escorted to Warhafter in regal fashion by an honor guard. Then we can arrange for your official declaration as the Great Blue, plus a grand ceremony and a tour of the planet. You'll also need a full briefing on our present military situation, plus a briefing on our history to get you up to speed. That should give me enough time to repair this equipment and hopefully restore your memories of the past year and a half."

_And hopefully find a way to control you in order to have myself declared the absolute ruler of Lorwardia. Yes, ultimate power is nearly within my grasp ..._

With an evil gleam in his eye, WarOwl looked over at Drakken. "Then we can decide what to do with our also-ran friend here."

Drakken gasped. "Oh, snap ..."

WarOwl called for several guards, who immediately appeared. "You are now the official Honor Guard for the newly-declared Great Blue. We will escort him to Warhafter immediately."

As soon as they left the lab, Rufus reappeared and unsnapped Drakken's now disabled bindings.

"What? I'm free?" Drakken's look of glee quickly turned to consternation as he rebuked the tiny mole rat.

"And just how did you manage that? Why couldn't you have done that _before_ Zorpox was reincarnated?"

Rufus chittered and gesticulated wildly, trying to imitate the huge electrical discharge that had been the cause.

"Ah. That makes sense. But once WarOwl fixes the Mind Sifter, we may all end up back where we started."

Rufus smiled and shook his head, holding up a critical piece of the Mind Sifter. "_Uh-uh!_"

Drakken laughed. "Good little mole rat! Now I know why Ron's taken you along on so many of these missions." He sighed heavily. "Including all the ones where I was so soundly defeated. But I suppose we should get out of here before they all return and, uh, finish what they started?"

Rufus energetically nodded as they both quickly slipped out the door to freedom.

* * *

Yori had taken the inert Lotus Blade back into the storage compartment where its case lay, softly closing the door behind her. Never again would this blade be used, for the last Mystical Monkey Master was gone. The jade monkey statues which had given Ron his power in the first place had been accidentally destroyed years ago, so there was now no chance for a new Mystical Monkey Master to arise and use their incredible powers.

She began to lay the sword back into its box, like a body about to be laid inside a coffin. As she did so, an overwhelming sense of guilt assaulted her mind. Fresh tears began flowing again, falling upon the still, cool blade.

"Ron-san, I have failed you. If I had trained you more thoroughly, you might not have died. Or if I had been swifter in my attempt to rescue you, you might still be among us."

She wistfully remembered those happy days not so long ago, as she gave Ron his advanced training in the ways of Tai Shing Pek Kwar. She happily recalled their humorous problems with Yamanouchi's new computer system, as well as the first time they merged their consciousness in training. And of her quest to the Iwashimizu Shrine in order to gain full control over her feelings for him.

She now realized with dismay that it had all been for naught. The destiny that she had so firmly believed in had been thwarted. Not only that, but it also spelled the end of Kim Possible's destiny, which she firmly believed had been Ron. Even more, Yamanouchi's sacred duty was now rendered pointless, for without a Mystical Monkey Master, the guardianship of the Lotus Blade was no longer necessary.

And it was all her fault. She now felt personally responsible for this tremendous failure. As her guilt and shame threatened to overwhelm her, she began to consider the unthinkable.

_"But ... perhaps the Lotus Blade could be used for one final purpose, and purge my dishonor in one last sacrificial act."_

She dispassionately began to turn the blade over in her hands, observing its unique craftsmanship. The handle was still as beautiful as it was when it had been created by Toshimiru over 1600 years before. She ran her hand over the cool steel of the blade. Its sharpness had not been dulled by time, and it would serve its last purpose well.

She recalled the details of seppuku: the ancient form of ritual suicide. Hara-kiri would satisfy the code of honor required of a dishonored samurai, and she considered that performing the deed with the Lotus Blade was a suitable irony. She would write the traditional death poem, in which she would humbly ask for Sensei's forgiveness, as well as from her grieving friend, Kim Possible. A quick thrust of the blade, a quick twist from left to right, and her honor would finally be restored as she passed into eternity.

But as she furthered meditated on this action, she realized that although her death would fulfill her own sense of honor, it would not honor her commitment as a member of the new Team Possible. She would be leaving them to face the unknown without the help of her own skill and experience. Was this not was she had trained for all her life? And before them lay the hostile world of Lorwardia, and possibly an evil entity hitherto unmatched in their experience.

In a moment of clarity, she realized that she had always been willing to die for her friends if need be. Her deeply rooted sense of honor reached to the very core of her being and defined who and what she was. But now she began to ask herself if that honor could be better served by being willing to live for them instead, and do everything within her power to help both Kim and Shego, as well as honor Ron's memory.

For several long moments she deeply weighed the merits of each course of action, moments which seemed to last an eternity within her mind. She softly exhaled as she reached her decision.

She took one last long look at the Lotus Blade, and started to place the ancient weapon back inside its Kanji-inscribed box.

"No. My duty is to my friends, and to the memory of Ron-san. That is how honor may best be served."

_"__A wise choice, Yori-chan."_

She gasped in surprise as the wisp of a familiar and gentle consciousness brushed her mind.

"Sensei!"

She smiled as a wave of relief washed over her spirit.

_"__Yes, Yori-chan. Your destiny is not yet complete. Do not make the mistake of believing that you have dishonored yourself in any way. Indeed, that itself would be your only dishonor. There are greater forces at work here than even you or I could have possibly imagined. And there is more than one way to fulfill your destiny, especially as there may still be a chance to rescue Stoppable-sama."_

At that statement, Yori experienced a thrill of hope almost too great to bear, almost not daring to believe what Sensei had just revealed.

"Ron-san is ... is still alive?"

_"__His spirit still exists. It cannot die. And I believe that his location at present is still this side of eternity, but for how much longer, I cannot tell."_

Yori's eyes widened in wonder as the Lotus Blade suddenly warmed ever so slightly in her hands, a tantalizing quiver vibrating for a fleeting moment before it once again became cool and still as before.

_"__But first, it is important to your mission that you reveal Stoppable-sama's final word__s__ to Kim-chan. Although you as an adept were able to hear what he spoke, Kim-chan was only able to sense the pain of his final cry. With this knowledge, she may be able to provide greater insight as to what lies ahead."_

Yori's eyes widened in amazement that Sensei was not only aware of Ron's terrifying scream, but of his last words as well, especially as he had been hundreds of light-years distant from that event.

"I will do so immediately, Sensei." She bowed her head in acknowledgement.

_"__Next, you must ask for her help in locating Stoppable-sama wherever he exists on the astral plane. You must __work together quickly if there is to be any chance of retrieving his spirit, and time is of the essence. By yourself, this would be nearly impossible. But together with Kim-chan, the impossible may indeed become possible. Be warned, however. The process would require a merging of your consciousness with hers, and all that implies."_

Sensei paused as he sensed Yori considering the implications of merging her mind with Kim. Yori realized that if Kim agreed to help, she would gain all Kim's memories, and Kim would likewise gain all of hers. And, all of her secrets. And some of those secrets might not be all that pleasant to Kim in her current frame of mind.

Sensei continued. _"__Yori-chan, are you prepared for this new challenge?"_

Without a moment's hesitation she replied, "Hai. It would be my honor. If there is any way to rescue Stoppable-sama, and if Kim-chan is in agreement, then my answer is yes. But I am curious, Sensei. If time is critical, why must I first reveal Stoppable-sama's words to Kim-chan?"

_"__It relates to the state of Ron's physical body at this present time. If it is indeed controlled by an evil entity, it will resist you with all of its deadly power, and may even resist the reassimilation of Stoppable-sama's spirit. If so, that evil may have to be destroyed."_

A chill passed through Yori's mind.

_"__The mission that you all began has become much more complicated, and Kim-chan deserves to know both the chances and the risks. Please recall the prophecy I revealed to you not long ago: Kim-chan may indeed rescue Stoppable-sama's spirit, but if she needs to destroy his body, his spirit, even if already rescued, will need to be released into eternity." _

Yori suddenly understood the great emotional and physical risks they'd all be taking. If they were forced to kill Zorpox, even after rescuing Ron's spirit ... A shiver went down her spine, but she resisted the possibility of that outcome and continued her query.

"What then must we do to search for him, and what are our chances?"

Yori could tell that a mystical frown had formed, and that Sensei was recalling a sad distant memory.

_"__That is difficult to say, Yori-chan. One time, many years ago, I experienced a situation very similar to your present difficulty. A Mystical Monkey Master found herself lost on the astral plane, and I desperately tried to locate her."_

A feeling of deep sorrow brushed against her mind.

_"__I failed in my attempt, and was almost lost myself. It was doubly tragic as she would have become my bride, and that sorrow I have carried alone for nearly fifty years. I will do all I can to spare both you and Kim-chan the burden of carrying that kind of loss yourselves."_

Yori was deeply moved by Sensei's revelation, but puzzled as well. "Sensei, forgive my curiosity, but I do not ever recall a female Mystical Monkey Master in my studies."

A mystical sigh escaped Sensei's lips_. "That is because I purged the records myself, out of my own deep sense of sorrow and loss. But it is now imperative that I face that memory again and provide you with any necessary help, in order that the __fate of my Yoshiko may not befall Stoppable-sama. Kim-chan's happiness, and the fate of the galaxy, now rests in your hands."_

A wistful smile appeared on Sensei's ghostly face_. "Are you still as certain as you were a moment ago, my beautiful Yori-chan?"_

Yori smiled. "Hai. Now even more so than before, honorable Sensei."

She paused for another moment. "And I humbly ask your forgiveness for my own moment of weakness over what I felt was a failure on my part."

She felt the warmth of Sensei's approval_. "You have made the wise choice. And the more difficult one. But I have faith in you that this choice will not be in vain. Once you have merged with Kim-chan, you must become as a beacon to Stoppable-sama. Between Kim-chan's great love for him and your attenuation to his spirit, you may be able to draw him to you. Use your own mind as a repository for his spirit until he can attempt to reinhabit his physical body. Go now, but I will be near in case you have need of me." _

Yori smiled, heartened once again with hope. "At once, Master Sensei."

With that, Sensei's presence faded. As Yori left the tiny room, the Lotus Blade once again stirred slightly, as if in accord with her newfound determination.

* * *

Ron felt as if he were adrift in the cosmos. He tried to move as he had before, but since he was no longer connected to his body, he had nothing to anchor himself to. His broken mystical cord floated beside him as he continued to wander aimlessly on the astral plane.

_"__Oh, man. Now this really, REALLY tanks. Kim is so gonna kill me when she finds out."_

He started to get a sinking feeling._ "__If she ever finds out, that is. And if Zorpox has my physical body, and I can't move in order to get back to it, that must mean I'm ..."_

If he had been in corporeal form, he would have swallowed convulsively.

_"__Dead."_

He immediately tried concentrating, but got nothing for his efforts. Any attempt he made to propel himself in any direction met with the same result. Even worse, he no longer could feel sensations of any kind. When he had traveled the astral plane before, he at least had a feeling of his own existence, and an awareness of his spiritual body. Now he felt nothing, as if he were psychically anesthetized.

He looked out onto the expanse of the astral plane, which now seemed to stretch out before him in limitless inky blackness. As he looked down, he made another unsettling discovery.

_"__The path! It's gone! Now I'm really toast ..."_

Fighting down a sense of panic, he again tried to concentrate.

_"__Hello? Is anybody out here with me?"_

Nothing.

_"__Kim? Yori?"_

Still nothing.

_"__Sensei? Rufus? Anybody?"_

He felt a small quiver in his mind, almost like a tickle.

_"__Hellooo? Is someone there?"_

The quiver began to coalesce into a presence.

_"__Oh, man, I hope this is someone who can help, and not that soul-sucking monster from Level 12 of Zombie Mayhem III ..." _

The presence began to speak. The voice was very weak and faint, but Ron could still understand it.

_"__Who is here with me? It has been so very long since I've felt another presence ..."_

Ron's hope jumped up a notch. _"__I'm Ron Stoppable. I, uh, seem to have gotten disconnected from my body. Can you help me?"_

The presence spoke again, this time a bit stronger. _"__I do not know, but I sense something unique about you, a presence that I have not felt for countless ages. Are ... are you a Mystical Monkey Master?"_

Ron's hope jumped up another notch. _"__Yes! Yes I am! I was trying to reach Yori, who had, uh, ya know, help train me, but my mystical cord broke when Zorpox pulled on it too hard, ya see? And now it seems like ..."_

If the presence had physical eyes that he could have rolled in response to Ron's jabbering, he would have.

_"__Ron. Ron Stoppable. I am Yamashira, and I was also a Mystical Monkey Master."_

Ron recognized the name. _"__Ohhh, yeah, right! I remember studying about you! Something about you being ... ulp ... __lost forever on the astral plane?"_

_"__That is correct, Ron Stoppable. So I wish to warn you. When the passage opens up between this place and the eternal plane, you must allow yourself to continue through that portal. If you do not, you will be trapped in this nether region of the astral plane, forever caught in limbo between the two great planes of existence."_

_"__Uh, ok. But how do I know when that passage will appear?"_

Yamashira gently responded, _"__You will see a brilliant light. Do not resist it, simply allow your spirit to pass through to the other side."_

Ron thought to himself, _"__That figures. It always has to be some kind of bon-diggety bright light."_

A question entered Ron's mind. "_Yeah, cool, but what'll happen if I don't? Is there like a bus schedule that'll tell me when and where it'll show up again? I remember this guy named Ron Rieger back in high school, and he missed the last bus on a Friday night and ended up walking all the way home in the rain. It totally ruined his shoes. And his clothes? Well, let's just say that ..."_

Yamashira gently interrupted Ron's discourse_. "Ron Stoppable, you need not worry. It will come for you. But it will only come once, so be ready."_

Yamashira began to fade. _"__I must go now. Good luck to you Ron Stoppable. Farewell ..."_

* * *

The grieving redhead was so was so lost in her own thoughts, that she hardly noticed that Yori had returned and had begun speaking to her.

"Kim-chan? Kim, can you hear me?"

Kim slowly lifted her pain-filled eyes toward her friend. Her tear-streaked face still reflected the deep hurt and sense of enormous loss that she continued to feel.

She brushed a damp strand of hair aside. "Sorry, Yori. Just trying to think through how this could have happened, and what to do next."

Yori reached out and gently laid her hand on Kim's shoulder. "There is nothing to apologize for, Kim-chan. But I have been in contact with Sensei, and he feels that Ron's spirit ... may not yet have passed from the astral plane and into eternity."

Kim felt like an electric shock had just hit her. After suffering the emotional trauma of Ron's apparent death, she anxiously drank in this incredible revelation. "You mean ... is it possible ... Ron's not dead?"

Yori smiled broadly. "Yes, Kim-chan, and more than merely possible. But time is short, and we must attempt to retrieve his spirit soon if we are to have any chance of doing so."

Kim suddenly jumped up and gave Yori the biggest hug of her life. Her eyes tightly shut, she now began to cry tears of joy, her face filled with relief that Ron was still alive.

The Tweebs let out a cheerful whoop, and Shego for her own part felt equal parts of happiness and relief.

Kim let go of Yori, and the young ninja took in a deep breath before she continued. "But Sensei indicated that I must first share with you Ron-san's final words, which I still do not fully understand."

Kim was instantly intrigued. "Spill."

"He said, 'Zorpox has my body ... watch out for ...' That is when I felt his scream as his spirit departed."

Kim bit her lip as she recalled that horrific yell. "Yes, I felt that too. But Zorpox? That was when Ron turned totally evil. A device called the Attitudinator sucked all of Drakken's evil out of him and transferred it to Ron."

"Yes, Kim-chan. I recall that event when I merged my consciousness with Ron-san during his training. But I do not recall his actual memory of that occurrence. It is as if he were another person for that brief period of time."

A cold chill sped through Kim's body. "I wonder if the Lorwardians could somehow have caused Zorpox to resurface. They sure have enough amazing military tech, so that's at least a possibility. But if Ron's spirit is gone, wouldn't Zorpox be as well?"

Yori tried to recall something that she had been taught many years ago. "During my own training, Sensei taught me that there are five elements that comprise a human being. They are like rivers flowing within us: the river of form, which means our body; the river of mental formations, the river of feelings, the river of perceptions and the river of consciousness. Form can be empty of a separate self, but none can exist by itself for long."

Kim looked aghast at Yori. "Are you saying that Ron's body may still be alive and inhabited by Zorpox, even though Ron's spirit is gone?"

As if in response to her question, an indicator light began to blink on Wade's tracking device, still set at seventy-four megahertz, the frequency of Ron's wedding ring. The screen's red light glowed ominously, hovering over the fourth planet in the Atlas star system: the same system into which they were presently headed.

Yori's eyes widened in amazement. "It is possible, Kim-chan."

Shego spoke up. "So, we're dealing with a soulless Zorpox? Urgh. He was pretty dangerous even _with_ a soul. I remember dumping Drakken for him since I figured he was a shoe-in to take over the world. But I hadn't counted on him being such an egomaniac too. He said that sidekicks need to know their place, and then just about fed me to the sharks. Literally."

Shego was then struck by a horrifying thought. "Uh, Kim, if Zorpox is alive, then where does that leave Drakken?"

Kim's joy over Ron was immediately tempered by Drakken's likely fate. The tables had quickly turned as to who was now the Great Blue. And who was now probably alive, and who might be dead.

"Good question, Shego." She closed her eyes and concentrated on their position relative to Lorwardia.

"Well, it looks like we're going to find out in less than 24 hours. So hold on, Shego. I have a feeling Drakken's luck hasn't run out yet either."

She turned back to Yori. "Ok, Yori. What do we need to do to get Ron back?"

Yori took a deep breath and began to explain.

"We must work together to save Ron-san. Between your deep love for him and my mind's attenuation to his spirit, we may be able to locate him and draw him to us, wherever in time and space he may be. To do this however, it will be necessary to merge my consciousness with yours, our minds becoming as one as we search the astral plane together. Are you willing to attempt this, Kim-chan?"

Kim's face betrayed a hint of fear. Through Ron, she was aware of the mystical realms, but to actually travel them by merging her mind with Yori's was something else altogether. But considering the alternative, she only had to consider it for a brief moment before deciding. Ron's spirit and perhaps his very soul now hung in the balance, suspended somewhere between life and death. Kim inhaled a ragged breath as she gave her answer.

"Yori, I've often bragged that I'm the girl who can do anything. I guess it's time I put that statement to the test. You know there's nothing I wouldn't do to save Ron, no matter what the cost to me. But this is _so_ the drama, and I can't say that I'm not a little scared. But with Ron's life on the line, I'm willing to try if there's any chance at all to rescue him. So, when do we begin?"

Yori hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying. "We can begin almost immediately, Kim-chan. But I must warn you first that once our minds become as one, there will be no secrets hidden from the other. Everything about the other will become known in an instant of time. This may create a kind of psychic shock to your system, but with care on my part, I can moderate its effect. I believe you to be of both strong mind and spirit, Kim-chan. Just do not resist me as I make the attempt."

Yori looked deep into Kim's eyes with a look of sadness, as she breathed a small sigh. "I also need to warn you that there may be some ... unpleasant knowledge that may be shared."

Kim looked puzzled. "What kind of knowledge?"

"You will know very soon, Kim-chan. Let us begin ..."

* * *

Ron had no sense of how much time had passed, but he continued to ponder over Yamashira's words. _"__So, one chance, huh? I just wish there was some way I could get back to physical reality. But if there were any way, Yamashira probably would have found it by now."_

Ron felt sad for the ancient master, but was thankful for his counsel. He was sure that his time would come as well.

_"__I wonder how long I'll have to wait until ..."_

He tried to rub the back of his neck, but realized he no longer could. He was about to try a shrug, when a small white dot appeared in the distance.

_"__Whoa. That didn't take long."_

The dot increased in size as it drew closer to him. In moments, the dot had grown into a large beautiful portal, its brightness beckoning him to explore what lay beyond.

_"__Hmm, it seems kinda peaceful over there. Well, I guess this is it. Kim, I don't know if you can hear me, but I love you. And I'll love you forever, I promise. Please take care of yourself, and say goodbye to Rufus and my family. I'll see you on the other side someday, I'm sure ..."_

He relaxed as his spirit began to move toward the portal.

* * *

_So the drama continues as Kim and Yori begin their desperate attempt to find Ron's spirit somewhere on the astral plane. I can feel everyone's collective sense of relief that the Ronman is indeed still with us, but I can also hear you all yelling, "RON! NO! DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT!" _

_Update next Friday._

_MA_


	23. Back From The Brink

_A big booyah to Eddy13, princessvmlg, Grandmaster T, Katsumara, Liselle129, MegKevin, CajunBear73 and saragil for reviewing, and the hundreds of others who are following my little epic. (I finally learned what that Story Traffic button means ...) So leave a review! I promise to respond._

_And apologies for keeping everyone hanging, but life happens, and all that. But here we go, off into the wild astral yonder ..._

* * *

As Ron stared at the beautiful portal before him, he found it hard to resist its siren call. Its radiant light beckoned him to enter.

_"__Just a few more seconds, and I'll be through ...__"_

But just before he entered it, he felt a calm, light resistance. Not like when Zorpox had forcefully held him back, but rather like a gentle hand on his shoulder. A warm, comforting hand, which felt just like ...

_"__Sensei?__"_

Ron was pleasantly surprised, and breathed a spiritual sigh of relief. _"Maybe I wasn't really as ready to go as I thought.__"_

_"__Yes, Stoppable-sama. Do not enter the portal. It is not yet your time.__"_

Ron felt encouraged, but was still concerned. _"__Well, that's badical news, Sensei, but if I'm left behind, won't I be stuck on the astral plane forever?__"_

_"__No, Stoppable-sama. Kim Possible and Yori are searching for you even now. After they find you, they will bring you back to the physical realm. Together you must defeat this Zorpox, but without destroying him. Then you may reunite with your body, and fulfill your destiny as Kim Possible's betrothed.__"_

Ron gasped at the good news. _"__Wow! There's nothing I'd like better than that, but I thought Yamashira said . . .__"_

Now it was Sensei's turn to be surprised. _"You have seen Yamashira?" _Sensei gasped in incredulity.

_"__Well, I sensed his presence rather than actually seeing him, but yeah. He was around just a little while ago, and said if I didn't go through the portal when it appeared, I'd be trapped playing limbo between two big airplanes.__"_

Sensei cocked a puzzled eyebrow at Ron, then sighed deeply. _"__I believe he meant that you would be trapped in limbo between the two great planes of existence, Stoppable-sama.__"_

_"__Oh, yeah, heh-heh. I guess it could have been that. But can't you bring me back yourself right now, Sensei?__"_

Sensei shook his head. _"__No, Stoppable-sama, I must now remain here for Yamashira's sake. If he is to have any chance of passing over into the eternal realms, I must now stand watch here. Besides, your spirit must be reunited with your body which is now on Lorwardia, and my own body is back on Earth, hundreds of light years from there. Kim and Yori are therefore the best choice for your return. And I may now have ... other questions that may be answered here, as well.__"_

_"__Uh, ok. So, do you want me to, well, help you find him or keep you company while you wait?__"_

_"__No, I must help you retrace your steps, so to speak, while Kim and Yori seek you out.__"_

He began to softly glow as Ron watched in wonder.

_"__We will soon meet again on the physical plane, Stoppable-sama. Until then, remember what you have been taught. It can save both you and your friends here, as well as those back on Earth. Farewell.__"_

With a bright flash, Sensei sent Ron back in the direction from which he'd come. Ron waved back cheerfully, encouraged by the knowledge that Kim and Yori would be looking for him soon.

_"__Hey, and good luck with getting Yamashira through that porthole.__"_

As Sensei faded from sight, Ron was just able to hear his parting words.

_"__Portal, Stoppable-sama, portal ...__"_

* * *

Back on the Kepler III, Kim gave Shego some final instructions. "Ok, Shego. While Yori and I search for Ron, I'd like the Tweebs to stay up here with you so you can keep an eye on them. I think you know how quickly they can get themselves into trouble. Please and thank you?"

Shego airily replied, "Yeah, I think I might be able to keep them in line." She fired up one hand to underscore that she meant business. Jim and Tim both sat down very quickly.

"Ok, you two. Bus driver rules apply here. No talking to the driver. _Understood_?" She flared up her plasma a notch for emphasis.

Shego smiled at her cousin. "Don't worry, Kim. They'll be on their best behavior. Right?" The Tweebs both nodded in frightened agreement.

Yori warned, "And Shego-chan, please do not exceed speed of light while Kim-chan and I are on astral plane. It would be most disconcerting to us."

Kim and Yori entered the adjoining compartment and sat down as the young ninja began to explain. "Once we are on astral plane, remain on the path that you will see and stay close to me. Concentrate your thoughts on Ron-san. As you do so, I will attempt to amplify them as we search together. I will begin our search at the point where I believe Ron-san was at the moment his spiritual cord was broken."

Kim was puzzled. "Broken spiritual cord? Am I spooked much?"

Yori explained. "When we are on astral plane, our mystical cords bind our spirits to our physical bodies. Ron-san's was broken somehow, but together we shall retrieve him and bring him back with us."

Kim closed her eyes as Yori began to gently enter her mind. She felt a coolness touch her, almost like a gentle breeze. Kim gasped as the merging of their conscious minds was instantly completed. Suddenly Kim realized why Yori had warned her. The sudden assimilation of all of Yori's thoughts and memories, in fact her entire life experience, was nearly overwhelming.

She had rarely experienced a feeling quite so powerful. There were only two events in her memory that were even remotely comparable. One was when she and Ron had switched bodies thanks to Drakken's brain-switch machine, as their minds briefly passed the other. The other was when she was force-fed her entire life via video after her memories were wiped clean by Dr. Langford's malfunctioning Memory Recovery Machine. But this was incredibly more intense, and she responded in her typical fashion.

"Whoa! Spankin!"

And then she suddenly understood Yori's other warning. Without the need for words, she grasped in an instant what Yori had been reluctant to share with her verbally.

"Yori ... you still have feelings for Ron."

It was not a question, it was a statement. Kim now fully understood the true depth of Yori's love for Ron, as well as her absolute intent to let it remain unrequited. But she also now understood the depth of Yori's honor and commitment not only to Ron, but to her as well.

Kim also became aware of Yori's curious combination of serenity juxtaposed with a dash of actual fierceness regarding her feelings for Ron. There was an absolute, utmost respect which she sensed reached to the very core of who Yori was. And an absolute protectiveness of him from anyone but Kim.

Yori remained silent, allowing Kim to absorb all these revelations, and quietly awaited her response.

"No wonder you and Shego began fighting so quickly at the wedding."

Kim began absorbing even deeper feelings: feelings now tinged with a sense of shame.

"Yori, your sense of honor is so deep, you would rather die than hurt either me or Ron. To the point of ..."

Kim's eyes widened in horror. "Yori! _Hara-kiri?_ That's just wrongsick! What were you thinking?"

No sooner had she spoken than she regretted her outburst, as she felt Yori's mind begin to withdraw in sadness.

Kim quickly apologized. "Yori, I'm so sorry. I _so_ know what you were thinking, and why. Please forgive me?"

Yori gently responded, "Of course, Kim-chan. I fully understand your American-style ways of honor, devotion and virtue. But what I had considered doing was Japanese way of dealing with loss of that sense of honor."

She paused as she reflected on her ultimate decision. "However, I carefully weighed that against value of courage to face my apparent failure, and my commitment to both you and Ron-san, so that we may recover him from his present distress. Sensei revealed to me that my only dishonor would have been to believe that I had actually dishonored myself."

Kim let out a slow breath. "Yori, I understand now. Everything. And you really had nothing to worry about me knowing this. Seeing this whole sitch in an instant has really reinforced my trust in you, and that you really were the right person to bring along on this rescue mission. I'm ... I'm sorry if you felt I was jellin' again."

"Domo, Kim-chan." Yori gently smiled at Kim's American-style apology. "It has been my honor, and it will continue to be."

Kim continued to drink in her new memories, including some which had been veiled from her for some time. "Hmm. Honor? Unlike my dad, who force-fed all those Captain Constellation episodes to me. And then conveniently forgot to tell me that Ron and I were dating."

She then began to realize that it was not only Yori's memories she had.

"Whoa! I have Ron's memories as well?"

"Yes, Kim-chan. Everything I remember about Ron-san, you are now able to remember too."

Kim tried to recall her very first kiss with Ron at the Junior Prom, but now through Ron's eyes.

"Eww. So not what I wanted to see. It's like kissing ... _myself_."

Yori laughed lightly. "Yes, things seen from a different perspective can be ... unsettling at times. I believe the word you use is, gorchy? But you will get used to it."

Kim smiled. "Yeah, I guess. Well, I'm ready for the next step. Time to start our search for Ron."

"Hai. First, close your eyes, then open your mind. Sense your spirit beside me, floating as dandelion seed in gentle breeze."

Kim took a deep breath and relaxed.

"Now, open your mind's eye to your new surroundings."

Kim gasped with wonder as she experienced her first glimpse of the astral plane.

_"__Wow. This ... this is incredible. It's so beautiful, and so vast, like it goes on forever. I've never experienced anything like it, not even with my new sensory powers.__"_

_"__Yes, Kim-chan. It is a beautiful place, filled with peace and wonder. It is a reality greater and more intense than our own, as well as a spiritual highway between the great realities. But we must hasten our efforts to find Ron-san before he passes over into the eternal plane, before it is too late.__"_

In her mind, Kim frowned. _"__Not if we can help it, Yori. So how do we go about this?__"_

_"__Stretch out with your mind and feelings, and call for Ron-san. Do not attempt to propel yourself, however. Let me become the motive force for our transit through this realm, lest you become disoriented and accidentally lost yourself.__"_

Kim felt a cold shiver at the thought of being stranded on the astral plane, just like Ron had.

Yori continued. _"__United with my mind, I will help you focus and concentrate with much greater efficiency.__"_

Kim called out into the great beyond.

_"__Ron? Ron, can you hear me? It's Kim. We're here to rescue you.__"_

She felt no response. She continued to stretch out with her mind, desperately trying to sense the location of anyone or anything.

_"__Ron, please come to me. I have Yori here with me. Please don't leave us. We need you.__"_

Kim began to choke up. _"__Ron? I need you so much. Please answer? I ... I can't live without you, Ron. My life would be so empty without you ... where are you, Ron?__"_

Yori felt Kim's angst and longing for Ron, which mirrored her own. She concentrated on amplifying Kim's attempt to call for him. Back on the Kepler III, the unconscious bodies of the two teens became drenched in sweat, physically manifesting the intense effort their spirits were both making.

Yori added her voice into the effort._ "__Ron-san. Hear us. Come to us.__"_

A flicker of feeling brushed against Kim's mind. It was a pleasantly familiar feeling.

_"__Yori! Is it ...__"_

_"__Yes, Kim-chan, I feel it too. I believe we have found Ron-san.__"_

Together they moved toward him, ever faster as they realized that their goal was almost within reach. Ron likewise sensed the presence of his friends.

_"__Kim? Yori? Is that really you?__"_

Kim could hardly contain her joy. _"__Yes Ron! Hold on, we're coming!__"_

Far in the distance, Kim spotted him. He was floating well above the astral path, but still reachable. In a few more moments, his ghostly spectral shadow came into focus.

Yori swept up Kim off the path and into the atmospheric ether, stopping directly in front of their nearly lost friend.

Success.

_"__Ron-san!"_

Kim and Yori were overjoyed to have beaten the incredible odds against them. Their mutual feeling of relief at having found Ron was overwhelming. Their spirits ecstatically hovered and flew around him like two spiritual hummingbirds.

Ron was likewise giddy with relief and pleasure_. "Booyah! Boy, are you two a sight for sore eyes! Or for whatever passes for eyes in this place.__"_

Kim was beaming from ear to ghostly ear as she floated before him. _"__Ron, I thought I had lost you. I can't tell you how relieved and happy I am that you're still alive!__"_ Her smile turned devilish. _"__But I can show you ...__"_

She tried to pull him into an embrace in order to kiss him, but simply passed right through him instead.

_"__Oops! Sorry, Ron! I'm kinda new at this floaty-thingy kind of sitch.__"_

_"__No problemo, KP. But since I can't move under my own power because my spirit's cord snapped, how are you guys going to get me back to physical reality?__"_

Yori gently took the remnants of his badly frayed cord in her hand. _"__We will pull you back with us, Ron-san. When we reach physical realm, you will reside within my mind until we can locate your physical form and reintegrate you into it.__"_

_"__Coolio! But Zorpox has control of my body now. And a Lorwardian goon by the name of WarOwl did it with some freaky device called a Mind Sifter, which sucked Zorpox from my past and into the present. By now he's probably declared Zorpox the Great Blue, which I think will be really gorchy news for everybody.__"_

Yori nodded. _"__I concur, Ron-san. Without your soul, Zorpox would have no moral conscience whatsoever. And as all of your goodness is now missing from him, he would not only be supremely evil, but unpredictably dangerous as well.__"_

Kim grimaced. _"__Well, isn't that just spankin'? So what say we get back to the Kepler as fast as possible and put and end to the Great Blue before he gets geared up for galactic conquest?__"_

_"__Hai, Kim-chan. Just as soon as I ...__"_

Suddenly the girl's forms both flickered, like two holograms that had been violently disturbed.

_"__Yori! What the heck was that? That hurt!__"_

_"__Kim-chan, our bodies back on spaceship are being greatly disturbed in some way. We must hasten our return to our physical forms at once, else we become trapped here ourselves.__"_

Meanwhile, the Kepler rocked violently from a direct hit from a plasma bolt.

Shego yelled, "What the hell?"

She looked at the young Tweebs and instantly regretted her mild profanity. "Oops. Sorry."

Shego turned back to the control panel, where a blinking red dot revealed a nasty surprise. A Lorwardian battlecruiser had just dropped out of lightspeed only a few kilometers away and had opened fire.

"Now where in the heck did _he_ come from?"

"Yes!" The Lorwardian Commander slapped his hands together with evil glee. "Ha! I've finally caught up with those miscreants! Battlequail, continue firing!"

From the other side of the auxiliary control room, the temporary assistant tertiary weapons officer quickly responded. "Yes, sir. But Wartech reports that the plasma generators are only up to 50 percent of capacity."

The Commander sneered. "Well, it will have to do. I'm not letting those Earth females get away again without exacting retribution for their underhanded attack!"

Another volley of destructive energy lanced out. But Shego had thrown the Kepler violently to starboard, the bolts barely missing the command section of the Kepler.

"Whoa, that was too close." She punched the intercom. "Kim! Yori! We're under attack! Get up here now!"

But there was no answer.

"KIM!" Shego yelled as she pounded the intercom in frustration. "They must still be on their quest to find the Ronster. This is _not_ good timing. And I can't risk jumping to lightspeed to escape without jeopardizing their lives."

She sprang up from her seat and raced for the door to their compartment. If they were going to escape from this sneak attack in one piece, she would have to revive Kim, and quickly. She couldn't fly and operate the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor at the same time, and time was running out.

But just as she opened the door, another plasma bolt struck the ship. She was thrown headlong into the next compartment where she struck her head hard on the bulkhead.

"Oh, no you din't!" was the only thing she could mumble before passing out next to the still quiescent forms of Kim and Yori.

Jim and Tim rushed in and looked aghast at the three unconscious women. "Oh, man! What are we gonna do now?"

Tim hastily replied, "We gotta learn how to fly this thing, and fast!"

Jim snapped his fingers as he had a brainstorm. "Keep punching that button that Shego pushed to make the ship turn. I'm gonna grab the controller from my Nentindo GameKid out of the SL Coupe and see if it'll interface with the controls."

Tim began pressing the controls, causing the ship to swerve to starboard. He began randomly hitting the opposite button which maneuvered the ship quickly to port. The ship lurched violently back and forth, narrowly missing several more plasma bolts, but unfortunately tossing the bodies of Shego, Kim and Yori around like they were rag dolls.

Jim quickly returned with the game controller and plugged it into the naviport. "Ok, I'll fly this puppy and you take the weapons. Hicka bicka boo?"

Tim activated the weapons panel. "Hoosha!"

Jim swiftly executed a split-S maneuver. The gravitational force crushed the Tweebs back into their seats while the groan of overstressed metal revealed how tightly Jim was taking the turn.

"Whoa! This is even cooler than the Kingda Ka roller coaster we rode at Seven Flags last summer!"

The Commander's mouth hung open as he watched the Kepler execute a maneuver impossible for a ship that size. But the impossible was always possible for a Possible, especially two Tweebs on a mission to save themselves and the rest of the team.

The Kepler was now rocketing directly toward the Commander's ship.

The Commander yelled, "Hard to port! Activate shields!"

But the command came a fraction of a second too late. Tim pushed the firing button and a bright green flash erupted from the Kepler's plasma emitters, scoring a direct hit on the Lorwardian's starboard weapons array at point-blank range. With a blinding flash, the array exploded in a bright display of coruscating colors. Klaxons began sounding all over the ship.

Battlequail yelled out, "Sir! Shields are inoperative. Damage reports now coming in ... The starboard weapons array has been vaporized and we've sustained heavy damage. Emergency bulkheads have closed. Power is out over half the ship, and we're on emergency life support."

"What about the engines?" growled the Commander.

"Engines at 79 percent. We still can maneuver, sir. And the port weapons array is still functional."

The Commander barked out a new command. "Helmsman! Turn this ship around and pursue at best possible speed. And I want an armed guard placed around our Off Switch! We can't afford for those two humans to sneak back on board and totally shut us down!"

The Commander thought for a moment, then smiled wickedly. "Assign Battlefox and Wolfenstrike to that ignoble task. They have much to make up for after allowing those humans to infiltrate our ship in the first place."

Back on the Kepler, Jim whooped, "Hicka bicka boo! Nice shot!"

"Hoosha! Likewise on that cool maneuver. Where did you learn that move from, the Microsloth Flight Stimulator XXXXVIII?"

"Nah, the latest upgrade for Aerial Zombie Mayhem."

The Lorwardian ship had turned around and was again pursuing them.

"Ok, here we go again ..."

Jim again executed his split-S maneuver, and found that they were once again on a collision course with the Lorwardian ship.

"How about a game of Chicken, you Lorwardian scumbags?"

As the battlecruiser continued to turn towards the Kepler, Battlequail announced, "Just a few more seconds, and our port weapons will have a clear shot. Stand by ..."

But Tim was as usual quicker on the draw. Green plasma energy arced out at the Lorwardian ship, knocking out its remaining weapons in a cataclysmic explosion.

Battlequail grimly announced, "Commander, we've lost all weapons! Emergency life support failing. Structural integrity down to 20 percent. We're starting to come apart!"

The Commander pounded his fist into his command chair's armrest. "A thousand curses on that frackled ship!"

He angrily turned to the navigator. "Helmsman! Maximum speed! Set a collision course for that craft and prepare to abandon ship! I'm not giving up until either they're dead, or we are!"

The battlecruiser's damaged frame groaned like a dying thorgoggle as it picked up speed, heading directly at the Kepler. Tim continued to fire, but with little effect as the enemy ship was now simply a huge projectile.

"Hey, look!" Jim pointed at the tiny escape pods that were now exiting the crippled ship.

"We've done it!" Tim yelled.

He stopped firing, but saw that they were still on a collision course. Unless they got out of the way, and quickly, an impact would be inevitable.

"Uh, Jim?"

"I know! I know!" Jim struggled with the GameKid controls. A red light indicated some very bad news.

"Oh, no! The batteries are dead! The controls won't work! I can't steer the ship!"

He furiously punched the regular maneuver button on the control panel, but the controls had been jammed by the GameKid interface. The impact was now only moments away.

Tim moaned, "Oh, man! Even if we survive this, Kim will kill us for sure!"

A hand suddenly reached up and activated the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor. The weapon swiftly deployed as the targeting scanner focused on the dying battlecruiser, its huge shape filling the screen. With a swift punch of the firing button, a blue ring of energy quickly formed, swallowing the oncoming ship in a brilliant white flash.

"Boy, I can't leave you two alone for a minute, can I?"

The Tweebs yelled out in relief. "Kim!"

"Yeah, and if Shego hadn't been knocked out cold, you'd both be SO dead! But good job stepping in to save the day, space cadets."

She smiled and ruffled their hair in thanks, as the now revived Yori and Shego both looked happily on.

Jim gushed, "See, Kim? We told you we'd come in handy!"

"Yeah. Just don't make a habit of it, ok? That was a little too close for comfort, even considering some of the tight sitches Ron and I have been in before. Right Ron?"

A ghostly, disembodied voice echoed through the cabin, but it was clearly recognizable as Ron's. "That's right KP, we sure have had some close calls. But this one bon-diggety tops them all."

Shego's eyes shot up. "Whoa, spooky. So the Ronster's back with us, huh?"

Kim happily replied, "Yup, in spirit if not in body. Now we have to find Zorpox and get Ron back into his own form."

Shego leaned forward, anxious for any news about the one man she yearned for. "And ... Dr. D?"

"_And _rescue Drakken. Ron told us that Dr. D was still alive right up to the point that Zorpox took over his body. So don't worry, Shego. We'll get them both back, safe and sound."

Shego smiled with relief. "I'll hold you to that, Pumpkin."

Kim nodded. "And we'll all have that chance real soon. I just hope Drakken can hold out till then."

* * *

Drakken and Rufus ducked down a corridor, barely avoiding several guards that they heard approaching.

Drakken whispered, "Well, I guess the first thing we need to do is find a communications center and see if we can contact Shego and Kimberly Ann."

Rufus energetically nodded in approval and pointed down the hallway. A glass–enclosed room was at the end, and it appeared to have what looked like electronic equipment within, including viewscreens, a TV camera, and ...

"A microphone! Nice work, my little friend!"

They both moved stealthily toward the door, when it suddenly began to open.

Drakken gasped in fear. They couldn't risk being spotted now. He quickly sprang up as much foliage as possible, instantly hiding himself and Rufus within the dense leaves. Rufus chattered his quick approval as Drakken gave the naked mole rat a quick thumbs up.

The Lorwardian technician was looking down at a report and nearly ran into the brand new bush. "What the ... ? I don't remember that being there before! Frackled maintenance workers!"

As he angrily moved around it he grumbled, "What a stupid place to put a plant ..."

As soon as he rounded the corner, Drakken withdrew his instant foliage and slipped into the room. He scratched his head as he looked over the many dials on what appeared to be the radio transmitter.

He mused to himself, "Well, now what? I don't think I should just send out a wideband broadcast distress signal. Then the whole planet would know exactly where we are."

Rufus again began to chatter, quickly turning on the radio and adjusting what looked like a frequency dial. Drakken raised an eyebrow at the naked mole rat's choice.

"Seventy-four megahertz? That's an unusual frequency. Are you sure that will work?"

Rufus smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Ok, then. Here's goes something, but I really don't know what."

He flipped the broadcast switch. "Hello? Shego? Kimberly Ann? Can you hear me? It's Dr. Drakken, calling from Lorwardia."

There was no response. Not that he would have expected one immediately, but he could hope. He tried again.

"Shego, Kimberly, this is Dr. Drakken. Come in please. I'm in the city of Lorwardia Prime, which I'm told is the largest on the planet. I've escaped from the room I was being held in, but I'm still inside a high security facility on the north side of the city. That Zorpox character is in control of the sidekick's body, and right now he's on his way to the Lorwardian ruler so that he can be officially declared the Great Blue."

Rufus frowned and gibbered angrily.

"Oh, and the little naked mole rat is fine, and is here with me too."

Rufus immediately smiled and chattered, "_Hello!_"

"I'll continue to broadcast on this frequency as long as I can, but I don't know how long it will be before ..."

The largest viewscreen in the room suddenly blinked on. Zorpox appeared, clothed in a crimson robe several sizes too big for him. But he wasn't concerned about its size, only its significance. It was Warhafter's cloak.

"Hellooo? Is this thing on?" He cleared his throat as he began his harangue.

"Attention, all Lorwardians! This is the Great Blue speaking! _Wah, wah-ha-ha-hah!_ I am declaring myself the new Emperor of Lorwardia and all its conquests, wherever they may be. Warhafter, hmm, disagreed with my _request_ to become Emperor, and has paid the _ultimate_ price! The High Council has, like, like unanimously confirmed me as your new leader. Well, those that, mmm, survived the _first_ round of voting, shall we say?"

Zorpox's strident voice increased in vehemence, his red eyes blazing with inhuman joy. "_I'm_ the big dog now! In fact, I'm the biggest dog in the _entire galaxy!_ _Woof!_ Bow down to me, Lorwardia, and together we will rule the universe! _Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-ha-hah!_"

Long silent sirens began to wail ominously throughout the city.

Drakken's face paled to near white. "Oh, snap. Please hurry, girls, or there may not be much left of me to find ..."

* * *

_Next: On to Lorwardia! Update Friday._


	24. WarOwl's Lament

_Well, it looks like trying to post one new chapter per week has been a little too ambitious for me, but an update every two weeks seems to be be acheivable, so count on that. And with Team Possible close to reaching the finish line on Lorwardia, I want to make sure I'm tying up all those loose ends, which is proving to be more of a challenge than I realized. Oy! _

_Thanks very much as always to MrDrP, Eddy13, Katsumara, CajunBear73, princessvmlg, Grandmaster T, JCS1966, Screaming Phoenix, and saragil for reviewing, and all of you for reading. You guys are all great! And leave a review, I promise a response._

* * *

Kim's mood was considerably improved now that they were all safely back on the Kepler III, with Ron's spirit in tow and the latest Lorwardian threat over, at least for the moment.

"Well, Ron, I guess still having a spirit is better than nothing. And I can't tell you how happy and relieved I am that you're ok, but I'll feel much better once you're all back together in one piece. But a lot has happened since you and Drakken were kidnapped, and it'll take me awhile to explain it all."

Ron's disembodied voice echoed through the small cabin. "No problemo, KP. Right, Yori?"

"Hai, Ron-san."

They both knew the simplest way to fill in the blanks. After a rapid mind link, both Ron and Yori were immediately up to speed on everything that had happened to everyone since the abduction.

Ron was amazed at one thing in particular. "Whoa! KP! Total Team Go powers? That's badical to the max!"

Kim teased, "Yeah, so I'm not the _only_ girl in town with superpowers now." She mockingly wagged her finger. "And don't you forget it!"

Ron smirked, "Well, how's the 'other girl' taking it now that you share her green plasmatic goodness?"

Shego rolled her eyes. "Oh, puh-_leeze_. About the same as knowing we're cousins."

He grinned self-consciously. "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Ooh, KP! Have you told her about Cousin Larry yet?"

Kim gave a quick slash of her hands to let Ron know that subject was best left alone. "Another time, Ron. But I'm still curious about the little encounter I had with that comet."

She smiled slyly at her spectral fiancé. "So, our wedding rings were actually a little more than what they seemed to be on the surface, hmm? Care to spill on an explanation for _that_ sitch?"

Even without a body, Kim could sense Ron's shrug.

"You know I'm just as much in the dark as you, Kim. I had no idea they were acting like homing beacons."

Kim pondered for a moment. "Well, that leaves Rufus as our most likely suspect for who did it, but I'd sure like to know why."

"Ditto on that, KP. When we find him, let's ask. But since that led to you gaining your new comet powers and helping you guys find me, let's, uh, not look a dark horse in the eye."

Kim giggled. "Uh, Ron, that's 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth.' " Her smile faded slightly. "So, are you and Yori joined at the mind, so to speak, until we can get you back into your body?"

"Good question, KP. I couldn't move while on the astral plane, but since I'm back in the physical world …"

Ron slipped out of Yori's mind and gently into Kim's. Kim gasped at the wonderful sensation.

"Ron! I … I can actually feel you in my mind! Spankin!"

Ron replied simply by thought. _"__Yeah, coolio, huh?__"_

Yori had also mentally tagged along. _"__Yes, Kim-chan. And I am here as well."_

Another mystical voice began to speak. _"__Welcome back, Stoppable-sama. I see that your heroic friends were successful."_

_"__Sensei! Booyah! So did Yamashira make it back through that porthole?"_

Sensei chuckled. _"__Yes, he has finally passed through the portal and into the eternal realms."_

Kim was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. _"__Hey, uh, isn't it getting a little crowded in here? It's my mind ya know, and I'm starting to feel a little claustrophobic."_

Ron apologized. _"__Ooh, sorry, KP."_

They all left her mind, and the spirits of Ron and Sensei began floating in midair within the cabin.

"Sorry for the extreme weirdness, Kim. I never expected my out-of-body experience to become a more or less normal sitch for me."

Shego was starting to get a little impatient. "Well, this has all been just fascinating, but what's out next move, Princess?"

Kim scratched her chin. "Well, we know we'll have to land on Lorwardia, but it would be nice not to be spotted and intercepted first. Any ideas on how we can do that?"

Shego spoke up. "Yeah. How about we grab one of those escape pods from the ship you just blasted, Kimmie? Maybe there's something on board one of them that we could use."

Ron perked up. "Ooh, Kim! I can do one better. Be right back!"

With the barest whisper of motion, he disappeared through the hull. Kim heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Yup, same ol' Ron, off on the spur of the moment."

She turned to Yori with a trace of wistfulness in her voice. "Yori, I envy you. Training Ron and sharing his mind like you have, that must have been some adventure. And pretty ... intimate, if you don't mind me saying so."

Yori smiled easily and replied, "No, Kim-chan, it is I who envy you. The depth of love and commitment that you and Ron share is far beyond anything in my experience. It was your love for him that helped us find him, so do not feel that the apparent intimacy of our minds is something to be concerned about."

Her smile widened. "The intimacy of spirits is even greater, and that I have not shared with Ron-san. I trust that you and he will be blessed with that full experience soon."

"Whoa. You mean there's even _more_ to this mind-sitchiness? That's incredible! You totally rock, Yori!"

The young ninja bowed her head slightly in response. "Domo, Kim-chan."

At that moment, Ron reappeared. "All righty-right! Mission accomplished! I've got the codes!" He began twirling about the cabin. "I'm bad, yo' sad! I'm bad, yo' sad!"

Kim was amazed. "That was quick, Ron! How did you do it?"

Ron bragged, "Just a quick recon over to the Lorwardian Commander's escape pod and a little mind-reading mojo. He barely escaped after you zapped his ship into Never-Never Land."

Shego tried to sound unimpressed. "Sounds like you had dumb luck to me."

"No, Shego. Dumb _skill_," he snickered. "And he's not too happy, Kim. Especially since he's stuck in an escape pod with the two Lorwardians you and Yori creamed on your way to and from that airlock on his ship. He's fit to be tied, so it was a piece of cake slipping into his mind unnoticed."

Sensei congratulated him. "Well done, Stoppable-sama. And the news from Earth is cautiously hopeful as well. The enemy was unable to proceed very far in many areas without heavy losses, and their offensive is at a standstill. Dr. Possible's work in utilizing the alien's captured weapons against them is to be commended."

Sensei frowned as he looked down and saw the Tweebs. "And I see that Dr. Possible's sons have apparently been ... _discovered_, shall we say?"

Jim smiled guiltily at Sensei's veiled displeasure regarding the young stowaways. "Yeah, but we helped save the ship too!"

"I will let your parents know that you are safe, and of your heroics. I must now complete a critical mission of my own, but I will remain in contact and provide you with news of any change. _Gokouun o inorimasu_, my friends. You are all warriors of great honor, and the Earth is proud of you ..."

And in another moment, Sensei had disappeared.

Kim continued to beam at the good news that their planet was holding its own against the invaders. "Wow! The news from Earth is just simply ..."

Shego held up a hand for silence. "Kimmie, if you say 'spankin' one more time, I'll take over Lorwardia _myself_ and become the Great Green."

Kim grinned sheepishly. "Oops, sorry, my bad. Okay, so, catchphrases aside, Earth's all right for the moment. But we still need our own plan of attack. And it would really help if we knew what we were headed into. I don't want to fly into one of Zorpox's traps."

Ron suddenly remembered something. "Kim, we may not have to worry about a trap. Or even a trap-trap! I get the feeling that Zorpox may have my body, but not all of my memories. My mind was separated from my body just as the Mind Sifter blew. He may only remember things up to the point in time he was brought ahead into the present, and that was over a year and a half ago."

Yori nodded in agreement. "Kim-chan, I believe Ron-san is correct. Based on my perception of Ron-san's mind and the nature of this Mind Sifter device, the mind of Zorpox would probably not have any of Ron-san's memories past point of exact time he was taken from. He may be completely unaware of our rescue mission, your new powers, or your relationship with Ron-san."

Kim breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, that's good news. And if it's true, we may still have the advantage of surprise. But Ron, didn't you say that WarOwl suspected a rescue mission?"

"Yeah, but he didn't have any details. He may have thought I was just bluffing in order to buy me and Drakken some time."

"Maybe. But now for the thousand dollar question: does Zorpox have your Mystical Monkey Powers?"

"Good question, KP. I may have the mental half of them, but he might still have the physical half."

Shego frowned. "Well, _that_ just fills me with confidence. I saw firsthand what Ron did to Warhok and Warmonga using those powers."

Kim agreed. "Shego's right. I'm not looking forward to going up against a soulless Monkey Master, even with my comet powers. But we don't have much choice if we want to save Drakken and put Ron back together again."

She closed her eyes and made a quick distance check to Lorwardia. "And it looks like we'll be finding out in just about 12 hours ..."

* * *

_"__What in Warhafter's name have I done? The Great Blue was supposed to lead us to galactic victory, not destroy us ..." _

As the War Council's adjutant briefed Zorpox on Lorwardia's military history, WarOwl was lost in his own thoughts. He was both frustrated and deeply afraid. Things had definitely not gone according to plan. He had contrived to use Zorpox simply as his right hand man in a coup attempt, displacing Warhafter and placing himself on the throne.

He had been prepared to give Zorpox anything he wanted, as long as he himself could maintain absolute power over Lorwardia as its new Emperor. Instead, Zorpox had completely taken over, empowered by his Mystical Monkey Power. Warhafter was now dead, and what remained of the High Council had been cowed into submission by Zorpox. Not an easy thing for an apparently measly human to accomplish against some very powerful Lorwardians, but this wasn't your average human. This was the Great Blue, in all of his evil magnificence.

Not only that, but several dangerous precedents had just been set. As warlike as the Lorwardians had always been, no one had ever killed an emperor in cold blood, let alone half of the High Council. There were ancient rules of engagement to be strictly followed which Zorpox had apparently been unaware of, not that it would have mattered to him even if he _had_ known. With Zorpox's evil star in the ascendant, an undercurrent of fear and uncertainty had begun to sweep the planet, compounded by Lorwardia's totally unexpected military failures on Earth.

_"__Fear and uncertainty: those are words totally foreign to us._ _I've created a monster, and now I have to find a way to stuff this evil genie back into his bottle. Well, at least I still have two aces in the hole. The Mind Sifter should be able to reverse the process and send Zorpox back where he came from. And I haven't told him I suspect that some kind of rescue mission may be on its way."_

The adjutant had just finished briefing Zorpox on Earth's current military situation. Zorpox was not pleased.

"Hmm. Warsnipe should not have attempted that full ground assault without testing Earth's defenses first. And I'm sure that the key to those defenses are locked away up here." He tapped his head with his finger and glared at WarOwl, who tried to shrug nonchalantly in response.

"That problem will be resolved in due course, Your Highness, just as soon as we're finished here."

"Excellent. So, what to do about Earth, now? Hmm? We could threaten the planet with orbital bombardment, but that would simply guarantee Earth's total destruction, and what fun would it be to rule a dead world? Besides, who'd be left to create the Nacos I desire so much? And I must control the world's supply of Nacos at the _very_ least!"

He tapped his chin as his brilliant mind cogitated on the problem. "We must cow them into submission with a threat so vast, and so, so clear and visible to the entire world, that any resistance would be, hmm, absolutely futile in view of it."

Zorpox's eyes lit up in evil glee as he instantly conceived the perfect solution.

"WarOwl! Quickly, follow me."

With WarOwl in tow, Zorpox raced into the research and development lab of the War Council. He grabbed a computer terminal and began furiously manipulating various programs and weapon system designs, while the frightened technical support personnel looked on apprehensively. After a few minutes of frenetic redesigning and reconfiguration, he turned the screen toward the amazed technicians.

"There. Begin building this immediately. You are authorized to use any and all available resources. This project now has absolute top priority."

Their mouths hung open at the sheer size and scope of the new weapon. They were struck both with its audacity and simplicity, cleverly using instant lair technology, but on a scale hitherto unimagined.

"You should have the shell of the basic structure completed within, hmm, 12 hours? And the entire weapon in less than 24."

The technicians gasped. One of them replied indignantly, "That's impossible! It would take days just to accumulate the necessary resources!"

"Oh, really?" Zorpox began to glow as he gave vent to his anger. "Back on Earth, it only took me an hour to reconfigure my tricycle into a magnificent plasma catapult of doom!" He lowered his eyes in warning. "I'm giving you _much_ longer."

He smiled wickedly as his glow continued to increase. "And I promise not to destroy you, just as long as you succeed. So commands the Great Blue!_"_

As his maniacal laughter rang throughout the lab, the technicians were now literally quaking in their boots. After Zorpox's worldwide announcement of Warhafter's demise, they knew all too well what he was capable of. The head technician quickly replied, "Of course, Great Blue! It shall be done as you command."

He turned to WarOwl. "Now that the preliminaries are over, it's time to get back to our laboratory. I'm curious to learn about all of your, your amazing toys! And regain my missing memories. Then the Earth, as well as Lorwardia, shall be mine! _All mine!_"

WarOwl grimaced as he thought to himself, _"__Not if I can help it ..."_

As soon as they reentered the lab, they immediately noticed something amiss.

WarOwl gasped. "Dr. Drakken! He's gone!"

Drakken's broken bindings were lying uselessly on the floor. Zorpox sneered as he quickly punched the intercom. His angry voice began to echo throughout the facility.

"Attention, all personnel! Dr. Drakken has escaped from WarOwl's lab. He must be recaptured immediately!"

Zorpox quickly located a close-up shot of Drakken on the computer, taken while he was being led away after landing on Lorwardia. He posted it on the viewscreens throughout the facility.

WarOwl interjected, "Also be aware that he possesses unusual mutagenic abilities by which he can control plants and use them as weapons. Approach him with caution."

Zorpox finished, "He is to be captured alive. And he's not to be harmed at all if possible, but if he resists, do whatever is necessary to bring him down."

He switched off the intercom. "Now, WarOwl, first I want a rundown of every one of your secret little toys. Leave nothing out. If you do, I will find out. And I'm _sure_ you don't want suffer the same fate as Warhafter now, hmm, _do you_?"

WarOwl swallowed hard. "Of course not, Your Highness."

He had to make his move quickly, or not at all. He began nonchalantly. "You're aware of course of the Psychotronic Historical Analyzer. Let's continue with the Neurotomic Disabler, which briefly disrupts the nerve pathways of the voluntary muscles, paralyzing the victim. Our technicians have just developed a hand-held model which has passed its basic tests. If you'll observe the unique design ..."

Without another moment's hesitation, WarOwl fired the weapon point-blank at Zorpox. The look of surprise on his face showed that he'd been taken totally unawares. WarOwl kept firing until Zorpox had collapsed on the floor, totally paralyzed. WarOwl quickly picked him up and strapped him back into the Mind Sifter. He breathed a sigh of relief when the device's lights blinked a bright green, indicating that the power had been restored.

"And now to send you back where you came from. When I'm Emperor, hopefully Dr. Drakken will be less deadly than you have been. Lorwardia will not miss you. But thanks nevertheless for all your help in removing Warhafter!"

WarOwl chuckled to himself as he dialed the time indicator to the correct point.

"Farewell, O Great Blue!"

He pushed the button.

Nothing happened.

He broke out in a cold sweat as he quickly reset the device. He hit the button again. Still nothing.

Now in a blind panic, he raced over to the device's access panel. It was open. He peered into it and noticed that some of the microcircuits had been tampered with, and a critical chip was missing.

"Oh, frackle! Without that missing part, there's no way to fix this. And if I can't get it operational again, and quickly, I'll be so ..."

_"Dead?"_

WarOwl felt the blood freeze in his veins. He slowly turned around to see Zorpox hovering weightlessly over the floor, glowing brightly in an intense shade of blue. His power bindings had been melted to slag, a puddle of molten metal forming on the laboratory floor. With a wolfish grin, Zorpox's burning eyes confirmed not only WarOwl's grievous error, but also his now inevitable fate.

_"Time's up!"_

"But wait! Oh, frack ..."

WarOwl was unable to finish his sentence as Zorpox's blue glow quickly enveloped him. He felt a gradually increasing pressure over his entire body, as if a huge hand was literally squeezing the very life out of him. In another few moments, his body collapsed lifelessly to the floor.

As his blue power began to fade, Zorpox merely shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll just have to make my _own_ discoveries around this lab now! First, let's see if I can do anything with this, this intriguing device."

He took a closer look at the damage to the Mind Sifter. "Hmm. That looks suspiciously like a rodent's bite mark. Specifically, a naked mole rat."

He frowned at this new development. "So, Ron's little pet made it here too! But no matter. Once my ultimate weapon is complete, no one will be able to stop me! _Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-ha!_ But now I have to locate both of them before, before they can cause any further trouble. And I'm sure they're working together. But how to find them? Hmm, sounds like I need an expert to help me track them down. And I'll be needing a new sidekick and liaison to Lorwardia, as well. But who would fit that bill?"

He snapped his fingers as he thought of the perfect candidate, and punched the intercom. "Warmonga, report to WarOwl's lab immediately. The Great Blue has a job for you!"

He began to hum tunelessly to himself. "Drakken had a little rat, its fleece was missing, so! And everywhere that Drakken went, the rat was sure to go!"

He continued to laugh maniacally as he began exploring the mysterious treasures of WarOwl's laboratory.

* * *

Back on Earth, a badly injured Battlewolf was recuperating in an Area 51 brig. He was one of the few survivors of the ill-fated ground attack, and the highest-ranking Lorwardian to be captured alive so far. As such, General Sims was personally conducting his interrogation.

"So, Battlewolf, is it? It looks like we've _also_ had a few surprises up our sleeves. And as a great many of your battlecraft were destroyed in this one single attack alone, I'd be real interested in knowing what reserves you have left."

Battlewolf merely harrumphed, refusing to even answer.

General Sims continued to push. "Ok, then. How about resupply? A few Lorwardians we've captured have been more than happy to tell us about your terrific need for continual nourishment. You folks will be needing lots of food real quick, which is why your targets ..." He laughed for emphasis, "... seem to have changed from military ones to _chow_."

He bent down to whisper in Battlewolf's ear. "I suspect you might even have to discontinue your blockade soon just to head home for some grub."

Battlewolf's negative reaction gave him away. The General smiled. "Ah, so now we're getting somewhere."

The Lorwardian struggled uselessly against his bindings. Between lack of food and his injuries, he was unable to break through the straps which held him tightly in place. Still, he bravely refused to divulge any information to his interrogator.

The General used his most soothing voice. "How does a nice juicy steak sound? With onions, potatoes and all the trimmings? Just tell me what I need to know."

In spite of his dire straights, Battlewolf smiled. "Sorry, human. I have been trained to resist torture much more excruciating than mere physical discomfort. We are stronger and more powerful than you, and we shall ultimately prevail! It is our destiny!"

The General merely shook his head. "Your destiny, huh? Tsk, tsk. I guess you leave me no choice. I'm just glad you aliens have never signed the Geneva Convention ... Guards? Bring in our secret weapon."

The cell door opened to reveal an unassuming dark-haired man of medium build and height. He appeared relatively innocuous until he began to speak.

"Ohhh, _yesss!_ Wow! A real _alien!_ And green too. Or is that more of a shade of lime, or chartreuse? No! No! I've got it, _asparagus!_"

Battlewolf began to sweat. The human's voice grated on his nerves unlike anything he had ever encountered. He had been trained to resist many forms of physical and psychological torture, but this was above and beyond anything he had experienced before.

"Battlewolf, please meet Francis Lurman, also known as Frugal Lucre. I'm sure you'll both find just _tons_ to talk about." The General laughed and left the cell as Francis continued to blather.

"Boy, you guys are BIG! Wow, would you say nine feet tall? No, you're closer to eight feet. Am I close? Ooh, I'll bet you're exactly eight and a half feet high! Am I right? Huh, _huh?_"

Battlewolf was quickly cracking under the pressure. He bit his lip hard as great beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

"I'm not that tall myself, but I always wanted to be a super villain anyway! Too bad I was always getting caught. Hey! Just like you! So we have something in _common_. All right! A big alien like you and a little guy like me. Well, not _all_ that little, but you know what I mean, right? I wonder what _else_ we've got in common?"

Battlewolf's green skin had paled by several shades, and he was feeling more nauseous by the moment. If he could have torn off his own head to escape this human's prattling, he would have happily done so.

"Ya know, my mom wanted me to be an orthodontist, but that was _her_ dream, not mine. So what did your mom want you to be? Ooh! I'll bet it was either a doctor or a lawyer. Or maybe even a _prison guard!_ But I can't tell you how nice it was for me to be outta prison. Funny, all my cellmates used to say the exact same thing whenever I got released. But do they ever call or write? Nope, _never_. I wonder why that is?"

Tears were now streaming down Battlewolf's face as he cried out in excruciating pain. "Enough! I can't take any more of this torture! Guards! I'll talk! I'll talk! Just make him stop! In Warhafter's holy name, _please make him stop!_"

General Sims quickly reentered the cell as Battlewolf continued to whimper breathlessly. "You humans ... are _merciless!_ I ... I fear that we indeed have finally met our match ..."

General Sims merely smiled. "You've got _that_ right, big guy. Now, how about those reserves and reinforcements?"

* * *

Shego had just made their final course correction toward Lorwardia, when a small beeping was heard. A second red light had appeared on Wade's tracking device. Kim was instantly intrigued. She adjusted the controls to zoom in on the location, both of which were within a mile of each other on the surface of Lorwardia.

"Whoa. Two lights? One has got to be Zorpox, and the other has to be ..."

"Rufus!" Ron exclaimed. "He must know we're on our way and found a way to signal us!"

Shego breathed a sigh of relief. "And where the naked mole rat is ..."

"Drakken's probably there too! Just before WarOwl did the voodoo on yours truly, Rufus was sabotaging the Mind Sifter and must have shorted it out. I guess they were able to escape the lab in the confusion."

Kim nodded. "Ok, that location's our first target then. After we find Rufus and Drakken, all of us will confront Zorpox together."

The radio, long silent, suddenly sparked to life. _"__Hello? Shego? Kimberly Ann? Can you hear me?"_

Shego nearly jumped out of her seat as she heard Drakken's voice again.

_"__It's Dr. Drakken, calling from Lorwardia."_

A resounding cheer went up from everyone on board the Kepler III. Drakken was still alive.

Shego punched the transmit button so fiercely she nearly broke it in her haste to respond.

"Dr. D! It's Shego! We're about 12 hours away from you! Are you all right?"

_"Shego, Kimberly, this is Dr. Drakken. Come in please."_

"Dr. D, can't you hear me?" Shego's voice began to crack as she cried out in frustration.

Kim put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Shego, don't worry, we're still too far away for instant communication. At this distance it'll take an hour for your reply to get back to him."

Shego bit her lip, trying to remain patient as Drakken continued his transmission.

_"__I'm in the city of Lorwardia Prime, which I'm told is the largest on the planet. I've escaped from the room I was being held in, but I'm still inside a high security facility on the north side of the city. That Zorpox character is in control of the sidekick's body, and right now he's on his way to the Lorwardian ruler so that he can be officially declared the Great Blue."_

A familiar chattering could be faintly heard.

_"Oh, and the little naked mole rat is fine, and is here with me too."_

Rufus squeaked a tiny hello.

Ron yelled out, "Booyah! Rufus is okay too!"

_"I'll continue to broadcast on this frequency as long as I can, but I don't know how long it will be before ..."_

Suddenly, another voice could be heard in the background. A familiar voice, and yet different somehow. Evilly different.

_"Hellooo? Is this thing on?"_

Kim's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Omigosh, that sounds just like Ron!"

The voice continued. _"Attention, all Lorwardians! This is the Great Blue speaking! I am declaring myself the new Emperor of Lorwardia and all its conquests, wherever they may be! Warhafter, hmm, disagreed with my request to become Emperor, and has paid the ultimate price! The High Council has, like, like unanimously confirmed me as your new leader. Well, those that, hmm, survived the first round of voting, shall we say?"_

The temporary rejoicing in the cabin suddenly turned to fearful silence.

_"I'm the big dog now! In fact, I'm the biggest dog in the entire galaxy! Woof! Bow down to me, Lorwardia, and together we will rule the universe! Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"_

Drakken spoke again. _"Oh, snap. Please hurry, girls, or there may not be much left of me to find ..."_

Ron mumbled, "Well, I guess that answers the question whether he has my Mystical Monkey Power or not ..."

Kim looked closely at Shego. Her face was hard to read, but Kim didn't need mind-reading skills to know that if Drakken didn't survive until they reached Lorwardia, Zorpox's life would be forfeit by Shego's hand, or else she would die trying.

* * *

Dr. Drakken continued to broadcast his desperate SOS for another half hour as Rufus kept a watchful eye out for any Lorwardians. Suddenly, the viewscreen activated once again. Zorpox's diabolical features came into focus as he announced that Drakken had escaped.

"Oh, dear," Drakken sighed. "We're running out of time, and we have no idea how far away Team Possible is." He shook his head in irony at the fact that his longtime archenemies were now his best chance for survival.

He kept sending a message every few minutes for another half hour, when a Lorwardian guard appeared at the far end of the hall. Rufus quickly sounded the alert, and Drakken again performed his foliage trick. As soon as the guard was gone, Drakken turned to Rufus."Well, my new little friend who once was my enemy, then became my friend and then my enemy again, only to become ... wait, let me start that over."

Rufus chattered angrily in frustration.

"Sorry, you're right. I need to stop blathering. I suppose we had better get out of here and find a better hiding place?"

Rufus quickly nodded in agreement. "_Uh-huh, uh-huh!_"

They left the communications room and carefully snuck down the hall. Slipping around the corner, Drakken looked down at Rufus. "If we can find an exit out into the open, we might have a chance to find some cover before ..."

But looking up again, he found himself staring into a pair of all too familiar yellow eyes. He almost screamed in terror, but only managed a tiny yelp. The flower petals around his neck stuck straight out in fright before falling out and drifting lifelessly to the floor below.

"War – Warmonga?"

The Lorwardian amazon simply smiled back, her teeth bared in victory.

"Aha! Warmonga has found you at last!"

Dr. Drakken turned and ran for his life, with Warmonga in hot pursuit. But just as they rounded the corner, the communication room's radio crackled into life on the 74 megahertz band.

_"__Dr. D! It's Shego! We're about 12 hours away from you! Are you all right?" _

* * *

_Oh, snap. With freedom so achingly close, is Dr. Drakken about to fall into Warmonga's clutches?_

_Next time: Team Possible lands on Lorwardia._


	25. Grrl Trouble

_Many thanks to Katsumara, screaming phoenix, Liselle 129, Eddy 13, CajunBear 73, unwrittenaria, Grandmaster T, whitem, LTAOZFAN, MrDrP, princessvmlg, saragil and LuCarly for reviewing, and everyone out there for reading! And write a review, get a reply. And I promise to be more prompt in replying!_

_And now for the moment we've all been waiting for: Team Possible finally lands on Lorwardia! But what will they find when they get there? Read on, gentle readers ... _

* * *

Drakken dashed around the corner with Warmonga in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, the corridor was a dead end. And with Warmonga right behind him, there was no chance to fool her with a spontaneous display of floral camouflage.

"Oh, snap."

In another moment, she had caught up with him. He turned to face her, prepared to fight her to the death if need be, which he was positive would be his own, and very soon.

But instead of the expected attack with her force lance, she simply scooped him up in her arms and squeezed him tightly in a huge bear hug, nearly smothering the surprised doctor.

"Oh, joyous day! Warmonga is so happy you are unharmed! Ooh, you are so playful, running from Warmonga like that!"

Drakken was perplexed beyond all reason as a fear of another kind gripped his mind. "Uh, Warmonga, girl, did I just step through some kind of interdimensional portal into a place where the Lorwardians are all lovey-dovey?"

"Hush, my little snarfgribble! Warmonga will explain all as soon as she has you out of danger."

Throwing him over her shoulder, she began joyfully marching down the hall with her captive.

"Snarfgribble? I trust that's not some kind of vermin, or something … ulp … _edible_?"

"Oh, of course not! On Earth, you would call it … a term of endearment."

Now Drakken was truly frightened. "Now, uh, just a moment, Warmonga. I've already told you that I'm, er, spoken for."

"Hush, my tender one. We are almost outside." She carefully opened the exit and quickly looked around. "We are clear. Quickly! Into my groundcar."

Drakken jumped into the passenger seat as Warmonga gunned the engine. But this vehicle was designed for much larger Lorwardians. When he noticed how small he was in his seat, he felt as if he were five years old again, with Mama Lipsky about to drive him to school. But this was not Mama Lipsky driving him now. This was his incredibly dangerous archenemy, the very same one who had abducted and whisked him and Ron halfway across the galaxy.

Drakken began carefully, "I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but you did, uh, kidnap me in the first place, so I hope you'll understand if I say I find it hard to believe that you have my best interests at heart."

However, he was incredibly thankful that it had not been Zorpox who had found him instead, and gave a small shrug. "But I guess I, uh, shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Warmonga looked perplexed. "What? Where is this horse of which you speak? And why should Warmonga look inside its mouth?"

Drakken waved his hand in useless frustration at Warmonga's literalness. He began to gain a little courage now that he realized he wouldn't be dying, at least immediately. "Never mind, it's just a saying. By the way, how did you find me?"

She beamed with pride. "Warmonga has become an expert in communications after monitoring Earth's television broadcasts for so long. It was easy to simply trace the signal that you were transmitting."

Drakken was puzzled. "But it wasn't continuous. And I only sent a signal every few minutes."

Warmonga purred, "Yes, an excellent ploy to avoid capture. But after your initial signal, you transmitted every 5 minutes and on an unusual frequency. You became predictable."

He mumbled, "Hmm, seems like I've heard that before from both Shego and Kimberly Ann." He continued a little louder. "Well, now that you've found me, will you please tell me exactly what's going on? I thought that Zorpox was officially the Great Blue now."

Warmonga suddenly hit the brakes, nearly skidding out of control. She turned to him with a look of fury in her eyes.

"If you wish to see another sunrise, you will _never_ mention that horrid name again!"

Drakken once again froze in fear. "Oops. Sorry. Care to explain?"

Warmonga intoned, "Ron Stoppable killed Warhok, my battlemate. Now as Zorpox, he has killed several of the High Council, as well as Warhafter … my father."

Suddenly everything clicked in Drakken's mind.

"Not only that, but he has just destroyed WarOwl as well." A look of pure hatred came over her face as she snarled, "And he has stated that he has no interest in becoming Warmonga's battlemate, that he only needs me as his … his _sidekick_."

She continued, her voice shaking with anger, every word now dripping with murderous venom. "_And that sidekicks need to know their place._"

A little voice in the back of Drakken's mind warned him, _Be afraid. Be very afraid._ Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, so the saying goes. But a vengeful Lorwardian who has lost both her battlemate and her father, and then rejected by the very man that did it?

Drakken broke out in a cold sweat. In a very small voice, he whimpered, "Please, go … go on."

She heaved a deep sigh. "Warmonga was wrong about you. You are no blue impostor, you are the true and rightful Great Blue. Using your amazing floral powers, you destroyed our warbots using … a _cheerful_ attack, but you did not destroy _us_. I believe that you would not kill us now simply for your own pleasure, and dishonor our great warrior traditions as Zorpox has."

An introspective look came over her face. "Yes, we kill too, but we do so only in combat. We do not murder in cold blood, except for revenge. And by the thirteen moons of Jingos, Zorpox has earned Warmonga's revenge _a hundred times over!_"

She pounded her fist on the steering column as Drakken looked on in fear. A terrifying thought entered his mind. _If she ever finds out about that poison ivy I planted in her ship's quarters, I'm a dead man ..._

Her anger now spent, she turned to him and smiled. In a gentler voice, she continued.

"This is why you must help me defeat Zorpox. Then, as the new Great Blue, you will lead our mighty military in glorious intergalactic conquest, with Warmonga by your side as your new battlemate. Together, we will be unstoppable, my little snarfgribble! But first we must eat something. My quarters are just north of the spaceport."

As they traveled along the dark road, Drakken's mind began to swim with images of the likeliest outcomes: death either at the hands of Warmonga if he refused to help her, death at the hands of Zorpox if he helped Warmonga, or death at the hands of a jealous Shego even if he _did_ manage to beat Zorpox. And if he somehow accidentally killed him in the process, just add Kimberly Ann to the list. The common thread between all these scenarios was his no-doubt painful death.

Weak from hunger and a lack of sleep, and his mind now on overload as he tried to think of a way out of his predicament, he suddenly began to feel extremely faint. Before passing out, his face had paled to the shade of a lily, which he felt would probably look very nice on his soon-to-be grave.

* * *

Shego slept restlessly. Even though Kim had promised that there were no ships between them and Lorwardia, she had found it hard to relax and get some desperately needed rest before they arrived. Before dropping off to sleep, she continued to worry that Drakken might be recaptured before they could arrive to rescue him. She jerked fitfully as she began to be haunted by a nightmare.

She was a little girl again, at a time before she and her brothers had been granted their comet powers. She had just been beaten by her drunken father and had escaped from him by hiding under her bed. Scared to death and helpless against her father's rage, she peeked out from behind the blanket just as he entered her room. She looked up at him and was horrified to discover not her father's face, but the face of Zorpox staring down at her. She tried to squirm away as his hands reached for her.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened again. Her mother rushed in and held her father back from hurting her any further. But her mother also had a different face. Kim's face.

She woke with a start as she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Kim's.

"Shego, are you all right? You were moaning in your sleep."

Shego exhaled quickly, trying to shake away the memory of her dream. "I'm fine," she mumbled groggily.

She thought back to the quickly fading dream. _"__Hmm, maybe that's why my relationships with men have always been so strained. But why Zorpox, and why Kim? It makes no sense …"_ She shivered. _"__But Mom was always there for me. Well, that is, until the day she …"_

Shego sighed and turned to look at Kim, relieved to now be fully awake as the nightmare faded away. She smiled at her cousin.

"Kim, I'm not sure if I ever thanked you for letting me come along on this mission. We still have a lot of history to work through with each other, but a lot of positive things have happened in the past few months, too."

She grimaced just as soon as she'd spoken those words. "Well, maybe not your almost-wedding, the abduction, or Earth's invasion, but I think you catch my drift. I just wanted to say I appreciate your vote of confidence, and a chance for a fresh start. And thanks for being there when I needed you."

Kim's eyebrows raised in surprise at the warmth of Shego's uncharacteristic candor. "Wow, sure thing, Shego. No big. But that sure must have been some dream."

Shego shuddered, "You don't know the half of it, Kimmie."

A light began to blink on the control panel. Reverting to her snarkier tone of voice, she announced, "Well, Princess, we're here. Lorwardia, dead ahead."

They both stared out of the front viewport as Yori and the Tweebs entered the cabin to take in the celestial spectacle, while Ron's phantasmic image floated above them all. The huge red planet hung in the middle of deep black space, while Atlas burned blue-white over a hundred million miles further away. But what really caught their eye was something totally unexpected. And it was enormous.

Now it was Shego's turn to be surprised. "Whoa. What the heck is _that_?"

A huge structure was being built in space, almost as large as a small moon. It looked strangely familiar however, and every bit like an object known all too well by both Kim and Ron.

Kim's mouth hung open in astonishment. "Hey, that looks just like …"

"_A_ _Naco!_" Ron sneered. "That's it. Zorpox is officially evil."

Kim chided, "Oh, and those recent assassinations _don't _count?"

Ron backpedaled, "Well, _heh-heh_, there _is_ that I guess …"

Shego just shook her head. "It figures …"

Kim couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, leave it to Zorpox to take Ron's favorite snackage and turn it into a huge weapon. So, what do you think, Ron? Is it for attack, defense, or just ferocious intimidation?"

Shego snickered under her breath, "How about overcompensation?"

"Hey! I heard that, Shego!" Ron whined. "Zorpox may be evil, but he _is _a human among Lorwardians, which are just, well, humongous! So I can't say I blame him for that. It's just the whole Naco of Mass Destruction I'm complaining about. That's just _wrongsick_."

They were close enough now to be able to see shuttlecraft frantically traveling to and from the surface, no doubt transporting equipment and supplies to the new space station.

Kim speculated, "I wonder if it's being designed with spaceflight capability?"

Ron scratched the back of his spectral neck. "Well, if I was Zorpox, and I guess I kinda am, I'd make sure of it. And then fly it to Earth and force its surrender."

Shego chided, "Wait, what is this, some kind of Death Naco from _Planet Battles_?" She laughed derisively. "What does it do, shoot a huge stream of hot sauce at its target?"

Kim supposed, "Well, I'm sure that its main weapon is more lethal than simply Bueno Nacho hot sauce."

Ron interjected, "Whoa! KP! Don't underestimate the power of the sauce!"

A mutual groan echoed through the cabin.

Kim continued, "Well, whatever its weapons are, a Death Naco actually makes sense, Shego. Win the war through intimidation with a weapon no one can defeat, not even the Lorwardians themselves. So I guess it's up to us to make sure that doesn't happen."

The Tweebs were obviously entranced by the gigantic weapon.

"Hicka Naco Boo?"

"Hoosha!"

Shego shook her head in exasperation. "What is it with boys and their toys, anyway?"

Kim agreed. "I don't know, Shego, but it looks like all their attention is being focused on building that thing. Now if we can just slip into that stream of ships going down to the planet, we may be able to land without even being noticed."

At that very moment, the radio came to life. "Attention, approaching battlecruiser. This is Homeworld Control. Please identify yourself and transmit your security code."

Kim let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, so much for that idea. Ron, Yori, you're on."

Yori sat down in front of the controls as Ron tried to clear his throat, not that he really needed to.

"Ok, everyone. Keep it down until I'm finished. Yori, hit the transmit switch."

As Yori flipped the switch, Ron attenuated his voice into a reasonable imitation of a Lorwardian.

"This is Warmolerat of the battlecruiser, uh, _Unstoppable_! Transmitting security codes now."

Yori's hands flew over the controls as everyone held their breath in anticipation. A few tense seconds ticked by as they waited for the reply.

"Welcome home, Warmolerat. You are cleared for landing. Just watch out for all the shuttles. The Great Blue has put them on a strict timetable."

As soon as Yori clicked off the radio, everyone broke out in a resounding cheer. For her part, Kim felt relieved that Ron's ploy had actually worked.

"Way to go, Ron! Or should I say, Warmolerat?"

Ron hovered in midair and grinned, not unlike the Cheshire Cat. "Booyah! And let's not forget the crew of the _Unstoppable_, KP!"

Shego, however, still wore her usual pained expression. "Uh, sorry to throw cold water on your mutual admiration society, but we still have a problem. You do remember that we can't land this bucket on the planet, don't you?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, but we're planning to use the SL Coupe 3.0 as a shuttle down to the planet, so no big."

"Yeah, _no big_ until one of those Lorwardian shuttles gets a close look at the Kepler III command module. Then the jig is up, Miss Priss."

"Hmm. Good point." Kim turned to her brothers. "Ok, while we're down there, keep the ship on the opposite side of the planet from that … Space Naco, or whatever it is. That should keep you two out of trouble until we get back."

Shego smoothly dropped the Kepler into orbit, and soon the city of Lorwardia Prime appeared on the planet's reddish horizon, just beyond the terminator line. Dawn over the planet's capital city would be in less than an hour.

Kim was amazed by its size. "Whoa. That's one big city."

Jim piped up, "Yeah! Almost as big as Middleton!"

Yori smiled. "Yes, but Tokyo is much larger. _And_ it has sushi."

Tim pinched his nose. "Eeww. Raw fish?"

Everyone laughed. Now that they had finally made it to Lorwardia, all were now hopeful and in good spirits, their undercurrent of relief palpable. They were now mere hours from rescuing their friends.

Kim thought to herself, _And everyone is still alive and in one piece, more or less. Now all we have to do is grab Drakken and Zorpox. Hmm. Easier said than done, but anything is possible for a Possible … _

As their orbit brought them closer to the massive city, Kim gave Tim some quick instruction in the operation of the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor, just in case.

"Ok, everyone. it's showtime. Jim and Tim will stand watch up here in orbit while we perform the rescue. With luck, we'll be back in just a few hours. And Tweebs, no target practice with the weapons! We don't want to draw the attention of any Lorwardian ships. Got it?"

Jim and Tim nodded in acknowledgement as the rest of them proceeded to the cargo bay. Shego placed a few boxes into the trunk before climbing into the SL Coupe with Kim and Yori.

Kim was curious. "What are those for, Shego?"

She slyly replied, "Just a little extra insurance, that's all. After working with Dr. D for so long, I've learned to cover all my bases."

As they launched out of the cargo bay, Shego queried, "Kim, do you think it's wise to leave your brothers up here by themselves? They're talented, but they're also real mischievous. I hope there's a ship left for us to come back to."

Kim answered, "I feel the same way, but we really don't have much choice. Besides, they'll be safer up here. We don't know exactly what we'll be running into when we get down there."

Ron added, "Yeah. I just hope we don't run into a trap. Or especially a _trap-trap_."

Shego just rolled her eyes. "Hopefully we'll just find Dr. Drakken to start with. And then once we find Zorpox, the Ronster can get his spirit back where it belongs. Then Zorpox will disappear, right Stoppable?"

"I sure hope so, Shego. He obviously knew enough to try and hold me back when I was trying to reach you guys. But he may not want me back now that he's the Great Blue. If he resists me reentering my body, you'll have to try to knock him out somehow, KP."

"That may be easier said than done, Ron. But with the advantage of surprise and a little luck, let's hope so. We'll give it our best shot. Yori, are we still picking up Drakken's signal?"

Yori checked the radio direction finder. "Yes, Kim-chan. Still reading strong 74 megahertz signal coming from north side of city."

With anticipation in her voice, Kim announced, "That's our target, Shego. Lorwardia, here we come!"

* * *

Rufus had left the channel open on the radio, hoping that Team Possible would be able to home in on the 74 megahertz signal. Unfortunately, someone else had also been listening in on that band.

"So! A little rescue mission is being mounted by Shego, my former sidekick. And no doubt it's being led by that busybody Kimberly Ann Possible. I'll just have to prepare a warm welcome for all of them. There's going to be a big smackdown in my new town, and I'll soon have some hostages to barter with as well. Assuming any of them survive! _Wah, wah-ha-ha-hah!_"

Zorpox stormed into the now deserted communications room. "Hmm, no Drakken, and no Rufus. Well, Warmonga should have them both captured very quickly."

He flipped open his comm link. "Attention! Have a wartech set up a mobile comm station at the northern end of the spaceport, and set the frequency at 74 megahertz. When you're ready to begin transmitting a signal on an open channel, notify me so that I can shut down the signal being transmitted from here."

He switched the comm channel. "Capital Command? This is the Great Blue. Reactivate yesterday's Imperial honor guard … Yes, all available troops, and fully armed. I'd like to, hmm, plan a little _reception _for Drakken's would-be rescuers …"

* * *

Dr. Drakken began to regain consciousness. He carefully opened one eye. He was lying on a large couch in what appeared to be a huge living room. He looked around the empty room, and realized that he must be in Warmonga's quarters. Several mounted creatures adorned the walls. Some had obviously been animals of the big game variety, including a huge Thorgoggle spine, but others looked like they could have once been sentient. He swallowed hard, wondering if either he or one of his rescuers might be the next one to grace the empty space next to that last creature.

"Ugh. Never really cared for taxidermy." A brief vision of a stuffed and mounted Shego passed through his mind, and he involuntarily shuddered. Firmly setting his jaw, he declared, "Not if I can help it."

The clanking of some pots and pans from the other room indicated that Warmonga was preparing a meal. His stomach rumbled, and he realized that he hadn't had anything to eat for over 12 hours. He had a briefly disturbing thought as he wondered whether he might end up being the salad course. He hoped not, but he didn't feel like waiting around to find out. He looked around and spotted a large door, which he assumed led outside. He quietly walked up to it and tried the handle.

"Urgh. Locked."

Suddenly he had an idea. He whispered, "Flower, take out the door handle, but do it _quietly_ …"

A tendril quickly grew out from around his neck and wrapped itself around the handle. It proceeded to slowly increase pressure until a sharp crack was heard. The broken handle fell to the floor.

"Excellent!" He swiftly exited through the door, closing it softly behind him. "Hmm. I'll need to slow Warmonga down a bit, too. Flower, wrap yourself around the door so it can't be opened."

His tendrils were only too happy to oblige, entwining themselves around the outer door handle and frame. It was now one inextricable mass of foliage.

"That should keep her occupied for a little while. Now to find the spaceport and hopefully a way off of this planet."

After a few minutes of searching, he spotted what looked like the spaceport. Shuttles were taking off and landing almost every minute. With luck, he should be able to sneak aboard one of them, overpower the pilot with his twines and then try to locate his rescuers. He peeked down into his pocket to check on Rufus.

"Still with me, my little naked mole rat friend?"

Rufus woke up from his nap and stretched his arms, his tiny eyes adjusting to the dim pre-dawn light.

"_Uh-huh! Whatsup?_"

"We're going to try and steal a shuttle. Do you think you can adjust its radio to the frequency we need to contact Shego and Kim?"

Rufus nodded his head vigorously.

Drakken rubbed his hands together in glee. "Excellent! This will be my most brilliant escape plan, ever! Now let's see what we can find …"

* * *

Back at her quarters, Warmonga had just managed to tear down her vine-entangled front door.

"That fool! Warmonga can bench press 1300 qualocks. Does he think mere _plants_ can hold Warmonga back?"

She calmed down as she began to acknowledge Dr. Drakken's ingenuity. "Still, that was clever. So, the Great Blue wishes to play hard to get?" She smiled. "Good! Warmonga _loves_ the hunt."

She began tracking him immediately, simply following the trail of leaves, broken tendrils and the scent of flowers. They led her straight to the spaceport. In just a few minutes, she had caught up with the hapless doctor, who was desperately trying to open the hatch of a small shuttle. He spotted her immediately and gave out a yelp, taking off across the field as fast as he could run.

Warmonga warmed to the thrill of the chase, rapidly closing the distance between them.

"You cannot escape me, my Great Blue gorfsnarffle! Come to your Warmonga!"

Drakken continued running as if his life depended on it. Rufus popped out of his pocket and held on for dear life, chattering in his unique dialect, "_Oh, brother, here we go again …_"

* * *

The SL Coupe 3.0 lived up to its excellent reputation, and the Tweeb's upgrades enabled it to fly effortlessly through the dusty atmosphere of Lorwardia. Soon, Team Possible was vectoring in on their final approach to the main landing field. With so many craft of different types taking off and landing, they had no trouble blending in with the flotilla of shuttles.

Yori continued to monitor the 74 megahertz frequency. "Kim-chan, the signal is strong and coming from that building on north side of field."

Kim nodded. "Ok, stand by for landing."

Dawn was just breaking as Kim lightly touched down on the field. She switched from the rockets to the regular engine and proceeded to drive up to the building.

"Well, it's now the moment of truth. Let's hope that Drakken and Rufus are still inside."

Just then, a blue man in a disheveled tuxedo appeared over the rise, running as if pursued by the Devil herself.

Shego took one look at the man and felt her heart jump into her throat. A feeling like an electric shock went through her body as she instantly realized who it was. She jumped out of the car and began running toward him.

She waved frantically at Dr. Drakken. "Dr. D! It's me, Shego!"

"Shego, wait!" Kim yelled. But it was too late. Shego was already running full tilt toward her one true love, ecstatic that he was still alive. He now saw her as well and began running toward her.

Drakken thought he was just seeing things when he spotted Shego running toward him. They stopped just short of each other, both of them barely able to believe what their eyes were truly telling them. They hesitated for only a moment before rushing into each others arms. There was now no awkwardness between them like after the first time that Drakken had been abducted, and no embarrassment in revealing exactly how each felt about the other.

Shego breathlessly panted, "I can't believe I've finally found you." Her deep emerald green eyes locked on Drakken's eyes of deepest blue. As their lips converged, she whispered, "The heck with rules on public displays of affection ..."

Since the beginning of time there have been three kisses that were rated the most intense, the most passionate. This was one of them.

Shego broke the kiss as she continued to caress Drakken's face. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you again, Drew. I thought I had lost you for good."

Drakken exhaled contentedly. "Likewise, Shego. But nothing will ever come between us again."

All too soon, the spell was broken by the voice of a certain fast-approaching Lorwardian.

"Come back, my little snarfgribble!"

Drakken sighed, "Well, except for maybe one thing ..."

With an odd look on her face, Shego released Drakken from her embrace and queried, "Snarfgribble?"

Drakken self-consciously replied, "Heh-heh. Yes, a term of endearment which, by the way, I refused to go along with. I tried to escape when she asked me to join forces with her to overthrow Zorpox and become her, uh, battlemate."

Shego's mood quickly changed from one of bliss to one of storm. "_Battlemate?_"

Pushing Dr. Drakken behind her, she fired up both hands in a huge whoosh of supercharged plasma.

"_Over my dead body!_"

Warmonga stopped only a few feet away, pulling out her force lance. As she gripped her weapon, she sneered, "Ah, the green one who claims the Great Blue as her battlemate. I shall enjoy destroying you."

She lifted her lance high as she yelled out her battle cry. "_WAR-MON-GA!_"

Shego wasn't about to be intimidated. "In your dreams, you Lorwardian _bitch!_"

She let fly with one of most powerful blasts she had ever created. With a terrific boom, huge chunks of rock were torn up from the tarmac, flying through the air with terrific force. A visible shock wave quickly raced across the field, leveling several buildings in the process.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF _MY BOYFRIEND!_"

Warmonga staggered back, badly stunned but still standing. "Ooh. Wow. That smarted."

She fired back with her force lance, Shego quickly dodging each blast as she returned fire with her own massive plasma bursts. Her years of sparring with Kim were coming in handy. The fiercest battle of her life was now on.

As Kim looked on with awe at the incredible battle, she suddenly realized something odd. "Wait a minute. If Drakken is out here, then who's inside transmitting the signal?"

She peeked inside the door. "Rufus, are you in there?"

An evil laugh emanated from within the small building as the door swung open. "Welcome to my brave new world, Kimberly Ann Possible!"

"Zorpox!" Kim growled, automatically dropping into a defensive stance.

"Surprised, Kimberly Ann? Well, how about _this!_"

He touched a button on his comm link. Suddenly, hundreds of heavily armed Lorwardians swarmed out of every remaining building that lay on the edge of the landing field. They quickly surrounded Kim, Yori, and Drakken, while Shego and Warmonga continued their furious battle.

"It's smackdown time on the Wild, Wild World of Lorwardia! _Booyah-ha-ha-ha-hah!_"

Ron yelled out, "Look out, Kim! It's a _trap-trap-trap!_"

Kim shouted, "Team Possible!_ Attack!_"

* * *

_Has Zorpox pulled off the perfect evil decoy? And what other malevolent tricks does he have up his wicked sleeve? And with Drakken as the prize, who will be the ultimate victor, Shego or Warmonga? And when will Mahler Avatar stop asking these inane hypothetical questions and just get on with writing the next chapter?_

_Next time: Battle Royale!_


	26. Battle Royale

_Deep thanks to the many who have taken the time to review: Liselle129, screaming phoenix, CajunBear73, Secret Feline, Katsumara, LuCarly, whitem, readerjunkie, Eddy13, LTAOZFAN, Grandmaster T, princessvmlg, and MrDrP. And now for all who have stuck it out all these many months waiting for the ultimate confrontation: let the games begin!_

* * *

The battle was on. The smug Lorwardians were supremely confident that this fight would be over in just a few minutes. They were correct, but not in the way they expected. The actual result would come as an overwhelming blow to their inflated pride.

Long used to one-sided battles, the Lorwardians approached the diminutive humans with a brash overconfidence borne of being undefeated for centuries. 500 heavily armed troops of the Lorwardian Imperial Guard were now facing off against five humans and a naked mole rat. The odds seemed overwhelmingly in their favor.

But the reunited and expanded Team Possible was fully prepared, each one quickly activating their respective powers. They were ringed in by their foes, but once the fight began the struggle quickly degenerated into a brawl. As no more than a limited number of guards could bring their weapons to bear against such a small group without catching their comrades in a crossfire, each Lorwardian was forced into attacking on his own in hand to hand combat.

Two Lorwardians immediately took a swing at Kim, but she was quicker, instantly shrinking in size. Her attackers accidentally clobbered each other with enough force to knock the other one out. Without hesitation, she sprang back to her full size, and combining her super strength with her plasma power, she belted the next Lorwardian in her way. Falling back on her well-honed fighting style, she swiftly did a back flip and somersaulted over the next soldier, striking him on the rebound. She immediately swung around to pound yet another guard into submission.

Shego for her part was doing much more than just hold her own. With jealousy now fueling her already white hot rage against Warmonga, she was thoroughly pummeling the hapless amazon. With one powerful blow after another, she fired volley after volley of high-energy plasma, spurred on by the knowledge that Warmonga was now her competition for Drakken. It was do-or-die, and Shego was pulling out all the stops. Warmonga amazingly found herself totally on the defensive for the first time in her life, and was slowly giving ground to Shego's furious attacks.

Warmonga hissed through gritted teeth, "How can this be? Warmonga has defeated this human before! What is snatching victory from my grasp?"

She continued firing her force lance, but Shego was simply too quick, deftly avoiding every bolt. But the bewildered Warmonga refused to give up, and tried to close the range in order to engage her in hand-to-hand combat. Her superior size and strength might just tilt the balance against Shego's potent plasma abilities.

But with each shot Warmonga fired, somehow they were being hurled right back at her. Along with Shego's plasma bolts, she was incredibly taking twice as many hits as Shego was dishing out. Even her incredible Lorwardian physique couldn't hold up under that kind of withering fire.

Shego heard a familiar voice in her mind. _"__I have your back, Shego-chan."_

Yori had set her battlesuit on stealth mode, and was now standing safely behind her invisibility screen. She deftly caught every bolt that Warmonga was firing and hurled it back at the ill-fated warrior.

Shego eagerly replied, "Thanks, Yori!"

Yori smiled and sent another thought to Shego. _"__As Kim-chan would say, no big!"_

Shego simply grimaced in response, but was greatly pleased with Yori's help in protecting her flanks. She could now focus exclusively on defeating Warmonga. Shego rapidly closed the distance, but was much faster than the badly injured warrior. With a great yell, she sliced down with a blow powerful enough to shatter Warmonga's force lance in half. Shego smiled gleefully as she engaged her enemy in hand-to hand combat.

Warmonga tried to pull her powerful blaster from its holster, but unlike their encounter during the previous year, Shego was prepared.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Shego wasn't about to let Warmonga stun her into unconsciousness and throw her aside like a rag doll as she had before. Shego grabbed the weapon, quickly turning it to slag with a concentrated burst of plasma.

She yelled, "I'll take it from here, Ninja Girl. Thanks for your help!" Yori turned away to assist the others as Shego moved in for the kill.

Ron in the meantime had swiftly entered the mind of one of the Lorwardians rushing toward Kim. He recalled his mystical training with Sensei and his advice: _Ride your horse along the edge of the sword; hide yourself in the middle of flames. _

Ron smiled as he entered that part of the Lorwardian's consciousness most influenced by his lust for battle, easily taking control of his movements. Ron caused him to slip a foot in front of the ankle of the Lorwardian in front of him, causing the warrior to trip headlong onto the tarmac.

As the angry Lorwardian got back up, he yelled, "You clumsy narfbrackle! Watch where you're going!"

The first Lorwardian shot back, "Watch where _I'm_ going? _You're_ the clumsy narfbrackle!"

The second Lorwardian heatedly threw a punch, solidly connecting with his comrade's jaw. As the two Lorwardians began brawling, Ron rapidly entered the mind of another Lorwardian. Using his weapon, he shot the Lorwardian in front of him right in his rear end. The surprised Lorwardian let out a yell and quickly turned around to face his apparent attacker.

"What the frackle did you do that for, you bumbling idiot!"

Ron urged him to respond, "Well if you would stay out of my way, you wouldn't get shot, you fool!"

And yet another clash was on. Ron was becoming quite pleased with himself. _"__Wash, rinse, repeat …"_

In less than a minute, several platoons of Lorwardia's finest warriors were furiously beating each other to a pulp in a massive free-for-all.

Dr. Drakken was heartened by Team Possible's rapid success so far, and in short order activated his own mutagenic powers.

"Flowers, grab their weapons!"

His tendrils were all too happy to comply, grabbing the blasters of the nearest Lorwardians and crushing them into scrap. Now weaponless, the nearest guards tried to rush him.

"Now, grab _them!_"

They dutifully obeyed, and sensing Dr. Drakken's innermost desires, rapidly transformed into enormous Venus Flytraps. And these were definitely plants with an attitude. With their huge maws slavering in eager anticipation, they hungrily devoured the closest Lorwardians. Not wanting to be next on the menu, his remaining attackers beat a hasty retreat. The plants let out a pleasant belch, their hunger now satiated.

Drakken sighed, "Oh, dear. Warmonga will _not_ be happy about this. I just hope she didn't see that. Flowers, I know that we're all very hungry, but please don't _eat_ them? Just _incapacitate_ them …"

Kim had now ramped up all of her comet powers to their full capacity. Expanding into fifty identical Kims, her twins shimmered rapidly between red, green, blue and purple as they each used the exact power needed to either avoid an attack or strike a powerful blow. Like bowling pins being knocked down in a perfect 300 game, the Lorwardians began falling right and left, overwhelmed by Kim's perfectly executed attacks.

Shego had gained her own victory as well. Warmonga lay unconscious at her feet, bruised and battered beneath her terrific attack. Her face was a mask of almost inhuman joy as she prepared to strike the final blow to her longtime adversary and rival. Holding both hands together over her head, she charged up her plasma to lethal intensity.

The intense green glow of her plasma reflected eerily off of Shego's face. In an instant, her mind flashed back to everyone who had ever deeply hurt her in her life, starting with her father. She realized now what the deep-rooted cause was of her dream of an hour before, and that with one blow she would make up for a lifetime of pain and frustration. Total revenge and retribution were now hers, starting with Warmonga and ending perhaps with all Lorwardia.

"This will teach you to mess with me and my friends! _O__nce … and … for … all!_"

"Shego, _no!_" With the battle now won, Kim had returned to her singular form, and she reached out and grabbed Shego's flaming hands to prevent her from dealing the coup de grâce to Warmonga.

Shego hesitated, but refused to power down.

Through gritted teeth, she rasped, "_Vengeance_, Kimmie. It's what I want, and it's within my grasp. And it's literally in my own hands now. She's _earned_ this, after everything she's done to me … to us … and to Ron and Dr. D!"

Kim pleaded, "I know she deserves it, but you've beaten her now. You've totally won. So think about what you're about to do. Although Hego once said that you're prone to excessive violence, even in your entire villainous past you've never gone this far before. Do you really want to start now? Once you take that step, you can never go back, Shego. Do you really want that on your conscience?"

Shego continued to hesitate.

"The world gave you a second chance. _I_ even gave you a second chance once I discovered that you were my cousin. And believe me, that wasn't easy. Mercy is really hard to offer sometimes, Shego. But I've never regretted it."

Shego began to waver. She recalled the very end of her recent dream, when Kim protected her from any further harm. Perhaps now, Kim was protecting her from deadly excess. Perhaps now, she was being given a chance to put the past and her entire career of evil behind her, once and for all.

"Please?" Kim gave Shego her best shot, the infamous Puppy Dog Pout.

Shego grimaced. "Arrgh! All right! Just stop making with that face!"

She finally relaxed and powered down her plasma, giving Kim a wry smile. "Has anyone ever told you that you fight dirty, Kimmie?"

Kim smiled back. "Yup. You."

Shego's own smile widened as she let out a deep breath. "Kim, I hate to admit it, but I think you're right. There's already been enough destruction today, thanks to Zorpox. And most importantly, we're all back together, and we've won, thanks to you."

Kim breathed a happy sigh of relief. "Sure, Shego. What are cousins for?"

Dr. Drakken had just walked up and overheard Kim's last comment. He was absolutely thunderstruck at the revelation.

"Wha … urk … arghh … cousins? You two are _cousins__?_"

Shego looked a little embarrassed. "Uh, yeah. Long story, Dr. D."

He shook his head in absolute astonishment. "Yes, I'll certainly be looking forward to hearing about _that_ …"

Shego quickly looked him over, worried that he might have been injured in the fighting. "Are you okay, Drew? Any injuries?"

Drakken's mouth dropped open in pleasant surprise. This was the second time in ten minutes that Shego had called him Drew, and not sarcastically. She had never showed concern over his well being before unless it had been Moodulator-induced.

He quickly recovered and answered, "I'm fine, Shego. Really." He looked down at his battered wedding attire. "But this tuxedo certainly has seen better days."

Shego grinned mischievously. "Well, we'll just have to get you another one once we get back to Earth. I have a feeling you'll be needing another one real soon."

His jaw dropped again. "Uh, when you say that, do you mean for Kim and Ron's Wedding redux, or are you implying that ..." Not wanting to push his luck, Drakken quickly changed the subject. "Uh, yes, well. And it looks like you escaped without a scratch."

"Yeah, thanks to Ninja Girl here."

Yori smiled and bowed slightly to them both.

Kim interjected, "Sorry to break up your little reunion, but we've still got one last villain to take care of."

Shego and Drakken both mumbled a quick acknowledgement.

The entire melee had taken less than five minutes. The air was filled with the groaning of several hundred badly injured and unconscious Lorwardians. Even Kim was in awe of how easily they had defeated the powerful troops. Team Possible was victorious.

"Well, whoever sent that comet knew exactly what I'd need to successfully fight these guys." She addressed the sky. "Whoever you are, you totally rock!"

Rufus crawled out from a hole in the tarmac made by Shego's first massive plasma blast. He did a back flip in joyous glee and exclaimed, "_Whoopee!_"

Shego smacked one fist into the other glove. "We've dealt with the pawns, Kimmie. Now it's time to go after the king."

Only Zorpox remained now. But he seemed strangely unconcerned and looked at them all with an expression of near-amusement on his face. "Those are very interesting powers you all have! And now that I've seen them in action, I think I know how to deal with each one of you."

Kim turned to face the last man standing. "Game's over, Zorpox! Your brief reign as the Great Blue is finished!"

Suddenly, everyone stopped and gazed up at the sky. The early morning sun dimmed as Zorpox's gigantic battle station began to eclipse Lorwardia's sun. Team Possible may have won this skirmish, but the huge weapon orbiting above reminded them that the battle was far from over.

"I think not, Kim Possible! Behold my Naco of Doom with which I will rule the galaxy! You may have defeated the Imperial Guard, but you'll find me a much tougher nut to crack!"

Ron shot back, "Yeah, and I think 'nut' is the operative word here, Zorpox!"

With blinding speed, Ron attempted to reenter Zorpox's mind and regain control of his body. But this time it was Zorpox who was prepared. A bright orange flash flared incandescently as he tried to pass back into his doppelganger's form. The now totally eclipsed landscape was briefly lit up as Ron hit an impervious wall of mystical resistance. Stunned into unconsciousness, his inert form floated gently above his horrified friends.

"Ron!" Kim yelled.

A golden pendant hung around Zorpox's neck, its ruby red jewel now glowing brightly. "Surprise! WarOwl probably didn't even realize what this device was for. But with my attenuation to the Mystical Monkey Power, I discerned its totally badical abilities right away!"

Without a second thought, Kim and Shego opened up with a barrage of tightly focused plasma blasts. Once again, they bounced ineffectively off of Zorpox, who had activated a defensive screen.

"I expected Shego would be firing off her green gobs of goodness, Kimberly Ann, but I'm surprised that you've also gained those powers somehow, along with some other very interesting ones! But that still makes me two for two, _losers!_"

Kim was further angered by Zorpox's tone, which sounded exactly like Bonnie's typical taunt. Now pushed beyond her own sense of caution, she rushed Zorpox. Simultaneously activating her super-strength, shrinking and multiplying powers, she hoped to give Zorpox too many small targets to track and hit. But once again Zorpox was prepared and maintained the upper hand. The multiple Kims slammed full-throttle into what felt like a brick wall.

"So, how do you like my new improved energy cuff, hmm? Instead of drawing its power from its wearer and incapacitating him, I modified it to absorb any physical strike, drawing its power from the _attacker_ instead!"

Stunned and seriously weakened, Kim hastily reassimilated herself and gasped for breath as she fell down on all fours. "Oh, this is _so_ not good …"

Zorpox paused and looked straight at Yori, still cloaked within her invisibility screen. "Just like your nifty battlesuit, my little Ninja friend?"

With a twist of a dial, Zorpox activated another function on his wrist controller. He aimed directly at Yori and fired. But instead of a bright flash against her fully-charged defensive screen, a rapidly descending hum was heard as her screen was quickly depleted of all its power. She was now totally visible, and without her screen she was now vulnerable to attack. She instantly assumed a defensive stance.

Zorpox taunted, "Oh, and it can also _absorb_ power, just like, like your defensive screens, hmm? And your invisibility only applies to light waves by the way. This specially modified radar/sonar unit easily spotted you. So! I'm three for three, Team _Stoppable!_ _Wah, wah-ha-ha-ha-hah!_"

Yori had not moved, but simply glared back at Zorpox. "You may have some amazing toys, vile usurper of Ron-san's body, but they cannot match the forces of good. You will be defeated, I promise you."

She smiled with a wicked grin. "And I _always_ keep my promises."

Irritated by Yori's determination, Zorpox sneered back, "Well, we'll just see about _that_, won't we?"

He turned to Dr. Drakken. "Well, Great Blue pretender, looks like it's _your_ turn. Care to take a shot?"

Drakken gave him a deflated look. "No, I think I'll pass for the moment. Knowing you, you probably have some kind of super plant toxin to spray me with."

"Not quite, but a good guess, _Drew!_" he cackled.

Suddenly Shego yelled, "Hey, Dr. D!"

She tossed him a fully-charged Super High Pollinator rifle which she had just retrieved from the trunk of Kim's SL Coupe.

He brightened up. "Shego! You've just earned your pay for the week."

He turned back to face his taunter, this time with a deliciously evil smile on his face. "I've changed my mind, Zorpox. Too bad, so sad!"

He fired the mutagen, covering the ground directly in front of Zorpox with the sticky green fluid. A gigantic plant immediately blossomed between Zorpox and the rest of Team Possible, budding in a brilliant multi-colored display.

"Flowers, _attack!_ Disarm him, but _please _don't eat him ..."

The huge plant proceeded to completely envelop Zorpox. A few seconds went by while everyone held their breath, hoping that he had finally been beaten. But a moment later, a huge fireball appeared from beneath the giant shrub, incinerating the unfortunate plant into ashes.

"This Plasmatic Flamethrower was actually the first device I located among the late WarOwl's treasure trove of terror, Drew! He clued me in on your mutagenic abilities, and I thought this might be just the ticket. And what do you know, I was right! Booyah! _Spankin'_, wouldn't you say, _Kimberly Ann_?"

Kim stood up shakily. "Yeah, real spankin'. But I'll bet you can't take us on all at once!"

"Hmm. Perhaps not, but I don't think I'll _have_ to."

He touched another control on his wrist. The ground suddenly began shaking violently, making it virtually impossible to remain standing. Everyone except Kim and Zorpox fell to the ground, unable to even crawl away from the localized epicenter.

"Feel the power of the Tremorator, one of Lorwardia's standard issue world-domination weapons! Finding it a little hard to _stomach?_"

He frowned when he noticed it was having no effect on Kim. "All except for you for some reason, Kimberly Ann!"

Kim bit out, "Yeah, you'll find I'm full of surprises, Zorpox!"

He switched off the device and pulled out yet another small weapon from his side holster. "Up to now, most of these weapons have been, hmm, defensively oriented shall we say? But here's one tiny terror that should bring back some warm memories for you all: the Neurotomic Disabler! Now, _bite-sized!_"

Still queasy from the Tremorator's massive shaking, the new Team Possible could barely move. Only Kim remained standing.

"I know you must think this is overkill, but that's exactly the idea, isn't it? And with all of you as my prisoners, I'll have a totally badical bargaining chip in forcing Earth's total surrender! _Ah-booyah-ha-ha-hah!_"

He fired the weapon, now set on wide-beam. A sickly-bluish light enveloped Yori, Shego and Drakken. As they once again experienced the debilitating effects of the paralysis device, Ron's spirit suddenly disappeared. But once again, Kim remained standing, unaffected by the ray's effects.

Kim smiled and thought to herself, _"__Whoa. It looks like my powers even afford me protection from Lorwardian-style weapons. Just not the ones Zorpox has found or modified."_

Zorpox was growing angry, confounded again in his attempt to subdue Kim. "You continue to resist somehow, Kim Possible! And as you're the last obstacle in my way, I'll just have to remove you. _Permanently!_"

Zorpox focused his now considerable anger and began to activate his Mystical Monkey Power. The wind and dust began to swirl as his blue glow cast an otherworldly light on the still dim landscape. His power enveloped Kim in the form of a grotesque blue hand, just as he had when he crushed WarOwl. He grabbed her and lifted her off the ground.

Kim gasped, fearing that this indeed was finally the end. Her mind fleetingly reflected on the irony of being crushed by the mystical power of the one person she loved more than any other. But instead of feeling the sensation of her life being slowly squeezed out of her, she instead felt a gentle warmth, as if she were floating on a cloud of cotton.

Zorpox was dumbfounded. Try as he might to obliterate his archenemy, his Mystical Monkey Power refused to comply. In frustration, he attempted to throw Kim as hard as he could, but only managed to set her back gently on the ground. He concentrated even more intensely, willing his mystical energy to somehow destroy the last person standing in the way of galactic domination. His attention was so focused on her that he failed to see the SL Coupe heading right for him.

Zorpox turned a moment too late as the car struck him head on, sending him flying across the field. Landing hard on the tarmac, he painfully rose with a look of absolute astonishment on his face. The apparently driverless car popped open its passenger door.

Kim was likewise startled as a familiar voice spoke within her mind._ "__Kim! Quick! Get in the car!"_

"Ron?"

_"__No time to explain! Now!"_

She hesitated for a split-second, weighing the decision whether to stay and fight Zorpox to the bitter end, or escape to regroup for a counterattack. Then, another mystical voice began to speak.

_"__Heed Stoppable-sama's admonition, Kim-chan. Fall back while you still can."_

Kim trusted Sensei's counsel almost as much as she trusted Ron's. And when she saw Rufus furiously motioning to her from inside the SL Coupe, she promptly jumped in. The car's thrusters immediately fired up, throwing Kim back in her seat as the car roared off into the sky.

Breathlessly she observed, "Rufus! I didn't know that you could drive the Coupe!"

Rufus merely shrugged as the radio snapped on by itself. "That's because he can't, Kim."

Kim did a double-take, now totally bewildered.

"Ron? What's the sitch?"

"I just discovered that I can possess your car as easily as I can the Lorwardians." He snickered, "Actually, make that _repossess_."

Rufus just hit his head and mumbled, "_Oh, brother!_"

Ron continued, "I had to get you and Rufus out of danger pronto before Zorpox could find something that _really_ could take you out."

"Yeah, but what about Yori, Shego and Drakken? We can't leave them behind!"

"We won't, Kim. But we have to come up with a plan, or else we might be captured too. And since we're over 400 light years from home, that might mean the end for all of us."

Kim was forced to agree. "You're right, Ron. But we need to come up with something quick."

"I've got just the thing to help, KP. One of the Tweeb's upgrades to the SL Coupe was a video recorder. I took a page out of Wade's playbook and had it capture the entire confrontation, right before I tried to reenter Zorpox's body. Which was a good thing, too, since I got zapped by that wrongsick pendant of his. But I was only out for a moment. I just played dead so I could see what he'd do."

Kim perked up, thankful for Ron's clever ploy. "Way to go, Ghost Boy. So let's see the instant replay."

They marvelled at the panoramic view of the Lorwardian Imperial Guard's rapid defeat, but were sobered by Zorpox's cold smile and calculating gaze.

Ron frowned inwardly. "Yup, looks like he expected his goons to fail. He just drew us out so that we would tip our hand. Then he totally thrashed us, KP."

Kim sighed. "Yeah, and none of our individual powers had any effect on him. He was always one step ahead of us, as usual. But at least my comet powers seemed to give me protection against any weapon that's purely Lorwardian. And what was with Zorpox's freaked-out Mystical Monkey Power? He sure wanted to destroy me, but something seemed to prevent him. Could my comet powers have been protecting me as well?"

Ron pondered the reason for Zorpox's apparent inability to defeat Kim. "Maybe, but I think there's another reason, Kim." She could sense the pleasure in Ron's voice. "Remember when I accidentally activated my Mystical Monkey Power after you slapped me that one time?"

Kim answered with a touch of chagrin, "Yeah, how could I forget?"

"Well, I couldn't hurt you then, and maybe Zorpox is blocked subconsciously from hurting you now."

"Whoa, even when he's totally evil?" Kim sighed happily. "Just one more reason I love you, Ron. And maybe we can use that to our advantage somehow. Everyone has a weakness, and this is obviously his. But we still need to find a way to exploit it. Play the tape back, please and thank you? Maybe we can spot something else."

The video rebooted, and they watched the replay of the entire confrontation. Kim gasped as she spotted something.

"Ron, look at this! When he activated the Tremorator, he's not being shaken himself."

Ron agreed. "Yeah, it looks like his screen extends to the ground, but it doesn't touch it. And he seems to be floating just above the ground, but there's no screen below him, a-yup-yup!"

"So if I could get under his screen or come up from under him, I'd have a shot at taking him out."

"Sounds like a plan, KP. And if you didn't notice, he only used one type of screen at a time, except for that pendant. And he wasn't using any screen at all when he activated his Mystical Monkey Power. Not that he'd really need any kind of protection while using it, except that's when I was able to cream him with the SL Coupe."

Kim was cautiously hopeful. "Well, it's a start. But we'll need some kind of distraction to give me a chance to surprise him."

Rufus began to chatter, raising a tiny paw to volunteer.

Ron agreed. "Ok, little guy, you're on. And I'm assuming he'll have Yori, Shego and Drakken bound in the same type of energy cuffs that Warmonga used on me and Dr. D. I'll try to spring them at the same time as Rufus performs his magic."

Kim nodded. "Ok, now we just have to find out where he's hiding. Is his ring still transmitting on the 74 megahertz band?"

"Uh, Kim, bad news. Look."

Ron zoomed in on Zorpox's hand. The ring was gone.

Kim groaned. "He must have discovered it was acting as a homing device and removed it. It's going to be tough to locate him without that ring."

"Yeah, that's one bon-diggity problemo, KP. If only Yori were conscious, she could clue us in on their location. But if she's still out, that's a no go."

Kim snapped her fingers as something came to mind. "I've got a better idea Ron. But first it's confession time for both me and Wade."

"Huh? What do you mean, KP?"

Kim blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Wade had your body microchipped with a tracking device a few years ago. After all the times you've gone missing, we thought it'd be a good idea."

Ron was perturbed. "What! _Chipped!_ Oh, man …"

Kim felt bad about her subterfuge and tried to explain. "Sorry, Ron. But it's come in handy more than once. It even helped me rescue you a few times, starting when you masqueraded as my Dad in order to get the Bebebots to kidnap you instead of him. I know I should have told you before now, but it never seemed to be the right time."

Ron considered this for a few moments, trying to remember all the times he'd gone AWOL either by accident or design. He gave up after he lost count.

"Uh, I kinda see your point, Kim. But it would have been nice to know before now. I thought we had promised no more secrets?"

Now thoroughly abashed, Kim replied, "You're right, Ron. And I'm really sorry. Please forgive me?" She hit him with her best Puppy Dog Pout ever.

"Oh! _Again _with the Puppy Dog Pout! Geez, I wish that would work on Zorpox as well as it does on me."

Ron thought for another moment before surrendering to the logic behind his chipping. "Oh, all right, I guess. It's not like I've never had any scallions in my closet."

Kim giggled. "That's _skeletons_ in your closet, Ron."

Ron perked up. "No, I _meant _scallions, KP. Those baby onions can sure stink up a closet quick if you leave them in there too long. I brought some to school one day for our cooking class but forgot about them until after finals. Ooh! _So_ not a pleasant smell when I opened that door!"

Kim laughed, "I stand corrected. But that's so not the drama compared with what we're up against now."

She opened a panel on the dashboard and flipped a switch. A red light appeared on the tiny screen. "Yup. Zorpox's signal is coming in loud and clear. I know he'll be expecting us, so we have to be prepared for a trap."

"Or a trap-trap, if not another trap-trap-trap."

Kim just deadpanned, "Uh, riiiiight."

Suddenly the radio switched over to the 74 megahertz band, and a malevolent voice began to speak, accompanied by the Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor.

Ron listened in awe. "Ooh. Evil never sounded so … foreboding."

Zorpox's mellifluous manner belied the deadly threat behind his words.

"Hello, Kimberly Ann! This is Zorpox speaking. I have something _you_ want, and you have something _I _want. So I propose a trade: the lives of your friends for that computer chip your naked mole rat stole from the Psychotronic Historical Analyzer."

Kim and Ron both looked at Rufus, who retrieved the chip and held it over his head in victory. "_Tah-dah!_"

Zorpox ordered, "Meet me in twenty minutes back at my lab. Ron should know _exactly_ where that is, don't you, Ron?"

Ron sneered, "Yeah, Zorpox. I never forget a lair. Especially _that_ one."

"Good. Then we have a deal?"

Kim hit the mute button. "Well, Ron, what do you think? This may be our only chance."

"I don't think we can trust him farther than I can go without losing my pants, but I think so too, KP. It's now or never."

Kim released the mute button. "Yeah, we have a deal, Zorpox. But no tricks, or else the deal is off."

Zorpox airily replied, "The way I see it, you really don't have any choice, _Kimberly Ann_. Nor do you, _Ronald Dean_."

Zorpox cut the connection.

Ron sighed, "Well Kim, time for Plan B. Ooh, better make that Plan C, just to stay one step ahead of _him_."

"Yeah, but why does he want that chip so bad?"

"It'll help him access my memories of the last year and a half, which includes our plans for defending the Earth. With that intel, along with his Naco of Doom, Earth won't stand a chance."

Kim shuddered. "Ron, that would be so the drama. We can't let that happen, no matter what."

"I agree, Kim. That'd be like giving Zorpox the key to all the Bueno Nachos in the world. And if he manages to equip the Lorwardians with his new defensive gear, no power in the universe will be able to stop them either. Not even you."

Kim recalled the prophecy of the Great Red. "So I have to defeat him somehow before he has a chance to repair that psychotic Mind Sifter and use it to get his memory back. But I have to do it without utterly destroying him, Ron. You wouldn't have a body to go back to. That would mean that you'd be …"

Kim couldn't bear to complete her dire observation.

Ron shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, that'd be totally gorchy, all right." He continued offhandedly, "But as evil as Zorpox is, I gotta say one thing in his favor."

Kim looked surprised. "What's that, Ron?"

"He's the only villain who's ever remembered my middle name."

Kim and Rufus just looked at each other and heaved a great sigh.

* * *

_Decision time! So what will Kim and Ron's plan turn out to be? And what other tricks does Zorpox have up his devilicious sleeve? And how have General Sims and Global Justice made use of their spankin' new intel? Update in two weeks!_


	27. Plan C

_Thanks as always to all who have taken time to review: Liselle129, CajunBear73, screaming phoenix, whitm, Slipgate, savingkp, Eddy13, LTAOZFAN, Katsumara, Grandmaster T, JCS1966, readerjunkie, and princessvmlg, and to all who have continued reading. And for those who haven't gotten a reply to a review yet, never fear, you'll receive one by Monday. I figured you all would prefer I get the new chapter up first!_

_And now for the answer to that burning question: will Kim, Ron and Rufus pull off the impossible and outsmart Zorpox before it's too late? Just remember that anything is possible for a Possible, and that goes for ANY of Kim's cousins…_

* * *

Warsnipe was growing more frustrated by the minute. A garbled message had been received twelve hours before. Although incomplete, it had unfortunately told him enough. Somehow, their resupply ships had been intercepted and destroyed by a mysterious adversary. This meant no more warcraft to replace the horrendous losses they had just experienced, and even more critically, no more food supplies for their hungry warriors.

"But how? The humans haven't developed any kind of interstellar technology! They can barely reach the planets within their own solar system, let alone anything light years distant!"

His first officer offered up a theory. "Sir, there are only two possibilities. Either the humans are receiving help from an extraterrestrial source, or else one of the conquered worlds has somehow gained a new and deadly ally. Perhaps both."

Warsnipe growled, "Hmph! Neither prospect appeals to me, and this does not bode well for our mission. Already, several of our ships have reported unusual malfunctions or mechanical breakdowns which they _claim_ are forcing them to return to Lorwardia. Coincidence? I think not! Discipline is rapidly breaking down. This is totally unprecedented in our entire history!"

Warsnipe took a deep breath. "Send a message to Homeworld Command, Top Priority. Initial supply ships destroyed by unknown enemy force. Urgently request immediate resupply and reinforcements, or cannot maintain blockade of Earth. Currently sending out raiding parties to supplement our food reserves, which are now at critical levels …"

* * *

Joss looked up into the night sky. It was a beautiful fall evening, warm and pleasant. The stars shone brightly, unhindered by the light pollution from the nearest large metropolis, over sixty miles away. She and her father, Slim Possible, had just returned to the Lazy C Ranch in Montana from her cousin Kim's abortive wedding. With the ongoing alien attack, they considered themselves lucky to have made it back in one piece. Radio and TV communications were still spotty, but there were hopeful reports that the alien attack had stalled.

Suddenly, she saw a streak of light. "Look, Pa! There's another one!"

Slim noticed it as well. It made a sharp turn and became brighter as it approached the ranch.

"Well, it's sure not a meteor. Must be one of them durn' aliens orbitin' way up there in space."

The light became brighter and slowed its approach. It suddenly disappeared behind the nearest hill, just beyond the far side of the ranch.

"Better git inside, li'l darling. Don't want nothin' happenin' to you."

"But what are you gonna do?"

"First I'm gonna check our satellite for a bird's eye view of the spread."

As soon as they got inside, Slim went to the Lazy C's control room and activated the remote viewscreens. What he saw angered him.

"Why, those alien hombres are tryin' to rustle our cattle! That really chaps my hide!"

Slim quickly grabbed his truck keys. "Stay here, Joss. I'll handle those varmints!"

He jumped into his truck and roared of towards the landing site.

Joss huffed, "No way am I gonna miss _this!_"

Joss raced out the front door and into the side yard. She jumped onto the robotic horse that Slim had invented the year before and activated its controls. "Okay, Old Tornado! Giddyup!"

She took off like a shot across the ranch in hot pursuit of her father.

* * *

The two Lorwardians frowned as they tried to herd a few more cattle into their shuttlecraft.

"Not a very glorious mission, Battlemouse."

His cohort nodded. "I agree, Warquail. But Warsnipe has commanded that it's either this course of action, or else return home. And if we fail in our mission here, the blockade itself will be jeopardized. Then we will be forced to return home in total humiliation. And if that happens, we'll never get another chance to advance in rank and rid ourselves of these humiliating names."

Just then, Slim roared up in his truck and skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust.

"Hold it right there, you measly varmints! Git your filthy paws off of my cattle!"

Battlemouse and Warquail both looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

"And who's going to stop us, puny human? _You?_"

Both of the huge aliens continued to laugh as Slim pulled out both of his pistols. "Yup. An' I'm sure you'll think twice before messin' with us again."

The Lorwardians once again broke out in peals of laughter. "Your puny pop guns would be but a pinprick against our tough skin, human weakling. As compared with _these_ …"

They both pulled out their own weapons, which were clearly much larger and deadlier. Suddenly, thundering hoof beats were heard approaching. All turned toward a young redheaded girl on robotic horseback.

"You know what's _coolio_ about robotic horses, hombres? _Magna-hooves!_"

Joss reared up Old Tornado and pressed a button. The Lorwardian's blasters were suddenly wrenched from their hands by the powerful electromagnets in the horse's hooves. With another command from Joss, the horse stomped down on the weapons, smashing them into pieces. While Old Tornado's eyes glowed bright red in anger, Joss swiftly lassoed the surprised aliens and began galloping around them, tying them up more tightly with each pass. The two hapless Lorwardians were quickly roped up like steers at a rodeo.

Slim let out a whoop. "_Yee-hah!_ That'll teach them aliens not to mess with a Possible!"

Warquail's eyes bugged out of his head. "_Possible?_ You are related to Kim Possible, who helped defeat both Warhok and Warmonga?"

Joss beamed widely and replied, "Yup, ah shore is! She's my cousin. And this is my daddy, Kim's Uncle Slim!"

Battlemouse fumed, "Warquail! You fool! Of all the ranches to choose from, you had to pick the one owned by a Possible!"

Warquail simply sighed, "Just call me WarKiwi from now on ..."

Slim congratulated his quick-thinking daughter. "Good work, Joss. Kim'll be proud of ya! Now let's secure these two varmints and contact Global Justice. I'll bet they'll be right interested in these two and their little spacecraft …"

After a quick telephone call to GJ, Slim was connected to Dr. Director who quickly worked out the details regarding the pick up the freshly captured Lorwardians.

"Good work, you two. We'll have a GJ hoverjet over there within a half hour. And between you and me, we're getting similar reports from all over. A supermarket cashier notified the authorities after a Lorwardian tried to use an expired credit card to purchase groceries. And a Homeland Security agent arrested another alien as he tried to pass through security at Denver International Airport. Apparently, he was trying to gain access to the meal service delivery area."

Slim guffawed. "_Whoo-eee!_ Them aliens must be pretty desperate to be hankerin' for airline grub!"

"Agreed. The ironic thing is, the agent detained him for carrying a pocket knife through security, but totally missed the fact he was wearing a plasma sidearm …"

* * *

Kim, Ron and Rufus were preparing for their swap of the Mind Sifter chip for the lives of Shego, Drakken and Yori. Ron was having second thoughts.

"Kim, we can't let that chip fall into Zorpox's hands. And I'll bet we'll be walking right into some kind of …"

"Trap? I think we can count on that, Ron. But we're out of time. We either have to rescue them or turn over the chip. Too bad we couldn't switch it with something else, but the chances of that are …"

Rufus began wildly chattering and jumping up and down on the hood of the SL Coupe.

Ron queried, "What is it Rufus? You have an idea, little buddy?"

He nodded and pointed toward the hood of the SL Coupe.

"But you need us to pop the hood? Well, okay. Kim, if you'll do the honors?"

Kim opened the hood, and the brilliant little naked mole rat quickly jumped in. Working swiftly, he skittered back and forth within the engine compartment until he found what he was looking for.

"Tah-dah!" He pulled a nearly identical computer chip out from the car's emission control system, even gnawing at it a bit to make it look exactly like the missing chip from the Mind Sifter.

Ron was suddenly very concerned. "Ooh, I don't know about this, Kim. When it comes to being a stickler for the rules, I've heard that the Colorado DMV is even worse than Mrs. Hatchett, our old school librarian."

"Well, look at it this way, Ron. If we don't fool Zorpox, I don't think we'll need to sweat my car passing its smog test back on Earth. And I'm sure that the Tweebs will be more than happy to fix it once we're back home."

"Good point, KP. I didn't realize the SL Coupe was actually street legal. Uh, except for the rockets, I guess."

"Okay, next problem. Zorpox has your memories and experience, except for the recent ones. But you have his experience, too. So what kind of trap do you think he'd set for us, and can we prepare for it somehow?"

"Uh, probably something big and menacing?"

"Yeah, and one that would probably take a lot of energy. He seems to go for big, powerful doomsday weapons. And he'll need something awfully strong to capture me."

"Uh, yeah, if you want to call that a weakness, KP. But how do we take advantage of that?"

Rufus again jumped up and down, excitedly raising his hand.

Kim smiled and said, "Yes, I believe the naked mole rat in the last row has his hand up. Mr. Rufus, do you have something to contribute?"

Rufus began furtively whispering in Kim's ear. "Whoa! You can actually _do_ that? And you absolutely, positively know where it is?"

Rufus quickly nodded, acknowledging with complete confidence. "Okay, Rufus. You're on. When you're ready, send Ron a psychic signal, and then Ron will signal you back when to go ahead."

Frowning, Ron complained, "Uh, excuse me, but do guys mind filling me in? I'm not a mind reader, ya know."

Using his own Mystical Monkey Power, Rufus quickly sent him a mental image of what he had planned.

"Ooh, sorry, Rufus! I forgot that I _am_ a mind reader, especially after all of our training together at Yamanouchi."

Kim grinned, "And while Rufus is busy with his mission, I've got my _own_ Plan C worked out."

As they walked toward Zorpox's lair Kim explained her plan.

Ron wasn't totally convinced. "Yeah, Kim. That just might catch him off guard, but are you sure you want to risk that?"

She smiled wickedly. "Sure! This'll be fun. I get to be the distraction _and_ the surprise."

As Rufus scurried off, Kim and Ron approached the high-security building containing the late WarOwl's lab. All of Kim's senses were on high alert, and the multi-colored aura around her coruscated in harmony with her multiple powers.

The building seemed deserted, and no Lorwardians could be found anywhere.

"This is spooky, Kim. This place was teeming with Lorwardians just a few hours ago."

Kim smiled grimly. "Probably because we just put most of the Imperial Guard into whatever passes for their local hospital."

Ron nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, KP! That was totally coolio, a-yup-yup! Until Zorpox totally creamed us, that is."

"Well, it's time to turn the tables on him, Ron. All right, here's the air shaft that leads to his lair."

Ron winked at Kim conspiratorially. "Yeah, just what he's _expecting_ you to do. See you inside, KP. Good luck."

Kim climbed into the cooling duct and stealthily made her way forward, while Ron's spirit whooshed away toward the entrance of Zorpox's lair.

* * *

Inside Zorpox's lair, Yori was the first to awaken. She felt somewhat better than the first time she'd been hit by the Neurotomic Disabler, having been shielded somewhat from its ill effects by the self-healing powers of her battlesuit. Just as Ron and Drakken had, she quickly discovered that her bindings gained power the more she struggled or tried to use the suit's energy powers.

Using her meditation abilities, she easily controlled her adrenaline response, which would have charged her bindings even more. However, it was a bit harder to resist her growing sense of frustration and the temptation to use even more power to break free. Instead, she tried the opposite, hoping to weaken her electronic shackles. Utilizing advanced biofeedback techniques, she slowed her breathing and heart rate, entering into a deep meditative state.

By now, Shego and Drakken were coming around as well.

The blue doctor complained, "Oh, snap. Here we go again. This is getting _so _tiresome. Shego, my dear, are you awake?"

Shego groaned in pain as the room seemed to spin around her. "Ooh. Yes, but I wish I weren't. That ray sure messes with my equilibrium."

Zorpox grinned in evil pleasure. "That's the whole idea, my former sidekick! You should have all quit while you were ahead after defeating the Lorwardian Imperial Guard instead of trying to take me on. But you'll be happy to know that more Lorwardian troops are in need of medical attention than they have in over a hundred years! You should also be pleased that you've provoked an emergency request for medical personnel from all over the planet."

Zorpox's grin widened, his blue features reflecting his utmost confidence in himself. "But it's certainly no problem for me, as I fully expected this result. But after I arm them all with my own specially designed protective gear, nothing in the universe will be able to stop them. Or me."

Shego growled, "So tired of your blathering, Zorpox." Still recovering from the effects of Zorpox's ray, she gingerly looked around the room, fully expecting to see Kim and Yori bound in energy cuffs as well. She spotted Yori, but gasped in surprise when she recognized the unlikely prisoner immediately to her left, still unconscious from the thrashing she had just dished out.

"Warmonga? What the heck is _she_ doing as your prisoner? Now I'm _really_ confused."

Zorpox sneered, "You shouldn't be. Not only did she turn down my offer to become WarOwl's _replacement _as my new sidekick, but she went one step further and tried to recruit dear Drew's help in an attempt to defeat me."

He snickered as he continued. "And it would seem that Warmonga's motives aren't altogether … altruistic, shall we say? She's become quite fond of him for, hmm, some strange reason."

Drakken sheepishly added, "That may be true, but I want you both to remember that I didn't encourage her in any way, shape or form. And I tried to escape that particular dilemma by trying to, uh, _borrow_ a shuttle and flee from this horrible planet."

Shego chuckled. "Don't worry, Dr. D, I believe you. I saw just how fast you were running. On the other hand, Warmonga here …"

Shego's face began to burn hot with rage, inflamed by the jealousy she continued to feel for her rival. "I knew I shouldn't have listened to Kimmie. I should have finished her off while I had the chance."

Warmonga started to come to. She moaned and carefully shook her head. "Ooh, frackle! Warmonga feels worse than that time when she celebrated her victory over the thirteen moons of Jingos by consuming an entire bottle of Parfan brandy."

Shego acidly spat, "Yeah, and as soon as I get out of these bindings you're going to feel even worse!"

Warmonga immediately discovered that she was also bound in energy cuffs. As she raised her head, she spotted Zorpox.

"You fool! Release me at once!"

"Not a chance, my traitorous turncoat! You were ordered to capture the dear doctor and return him to me. Instead, you decided to betray me, the rightful Great Blue, in order to attempt a coup."

Warmonga was shocked that he had discovered her plan. "But how do you know of this?"

Zorpox hit a button, replaying her entire conversation with Drakken in the groundcar.

He smirked, "I thought you might be having second thoughts after you refused my offer to become my new sidekick, so I had your groundcar bugged. Looks like my suspicions were correct, hmm?"

Warmonga shot back, "Only because of your treachery! You murdered my father, Warhafter, along with many of the High Council. But you didn't stop there, you also destroyed WarOwl. Death and destruction follow in your wake, but none of it with honor!"

Zorpox simply shrugged. "Who needs honor when I can get the results I want by making my own rules? In only one day I've gained control of your entire planet!"

With a far away look in his eye he intoned, "And the rest of the galaxy awaits …"

Warmonga gasped for breath, still smarting after her furious battle with Shego. "During your briefing, did you not hear of our violent history? Our civil wars ended centuries ago when we realized our warlike nature would be the end of us. We formed strict rules of succession as well as rules for resolving conflict with each other, which then allowed us to unite our planet and begin our glorious march of conquest. But now you have shamed us with your disgraceful conduct!"

Zorpox folded his arms in contempt. "Don't get so, so all _high and mighty_, Warmonga. I've heard of your trophy room, with all those former sentient beings gracing its walls. The way I see it, your past shows that you enjoy no moral superiority over me, so turnabout is fair play. Remember that the winner always gets to make the rules: and in this case, I've won! _Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-hah!_"

Warmonga hung her head in admission of defeat. "Yes. The green one has defeated the mighty Warmonga, only to both become your prisoners."

She looked longingly over at Dr. Drakken and sighed, "Along with my adorable snarfgribble, the _true_ Great Blue."

Reacting with her instinctive sarcasm, Shego muttered, "Yeah, great at getting us captured, that is."

She grimaced, immediately regretting her snarky comment. "Oops, sorry, Drew. No offense meant. Force of habit and all that."

Dr. Drakken sighed in understanding. "None taken, Shego."

Warmonga turned back to Zorpox and lamented, "And now it appears that you will finish the job you started by destroying all of us."

She looked around, but noticed that neither Kim nor Ron's spirit were present.

She smiled grimly. "But your collection is not complete. The girl one who first defeated me is not here. Nor is the spirit of the Great Blue usurper."

"Not quite, Warmonga."

Ron had just appeared, hovering just within the door of the lair.

"Okay, Zorpox. Release my friends and you can have the bon-diggety chip."

"Not so fast, Ronald Dean Stoppable! First, the chip, and then we'll decide who gets released. And where is your, your oh so _dear_ Kimberly Ann?"

"She's keeping the chip safe in an, uh, undisclosed location. I would have brought it myself, but incorporeal spirits have a little problemo carrying solid objects."

Zorpox stroked his chin. "I think it more likely that she's planning a sneak attack while you provide your usual distraction. You forget that I'm essentially _you_, Ron, _sans_ your simpering goody-two-shoes soul."

He tapped his head. "But I have all of your older memories. Add to that my superior evil cunning, and none of you are _any_ match for me. You won't be pulling the wool over my eyes today, Ronald Dean!"

Warmonga whispered to Drakken, "Where is this sheep of which he speaks? And why would Ronald Dean's spirit wish to place it over his ocular organs?"

He was tempted to offer a sarcastic reply, but only managed a weary groan. "Never mind, I'll explain it later."

Zorpox quickly pivoted around to face the air vent behind him, which had just begun to quietly open.

"So, come out and play with us, Kimberly Ann!"

Just as Kim stepped to the floor, Zorpox activated a button on his wrist controller. A rainbow-hued force field instantly enveloped her, freezing her in place.

"I've created this containment field especially for you, Kimberly Ann. Not only is it tuned to each of your particular power's color spectrums, but I've also hooked up this device directly to the planetary power grid. It uses the same kind of singularity engine that powers the incredible Lorwardian stardrive, but it's much larger of course. And its nearly limitless power is more than a match for your, your, oh so _puny _comet powers, Kimberly Ann Possible!"

Kim and Ron exchanged a knowing look, and smiled. Ron sent a thought to her. _"__Yeah, just what we expected him to do.__"_

As Zorpox gloated in apparent victory, he couldn't help but add, "And if your little naked mole rat friend thinks he'll be pushing any kind of self-destruct button, think again. I've carefully removed anything that could even be _remotely_ of use to you! _Wah-hah-hah-hah!_"

He reached within the force field and grabbed the computer chip from Kim's hand. She angrily responded, "Hey! I thought we had a deal, Zorpox!"

"Yes, but I'm altering it a bit. Now that I have the chip, I'll agree to let _one_ of you go. But who, hmm? I still need a sidekick, but one who knows her place. Someone whose ambition and taste for evil I can fully utilize, but not someone _too_ ambitious."

He looked at each of his captives in turn. "Warmonga, you've already shown that you can't be trusted. Kimberly Ann, you're way too goody-goody, and Yori is much too honorable to assist in furthering my goals. Dr. Drakken on the other hand fits the bill for evil ambition, but he's too much of a rival for the top dog. And that's me! _Woof!_"

Zorpox fixed Shego with a cold smile and even icier stare, one that chilled her to her very soul.

"But _you_, Shego, I can use."

Shego shot back, "Over my dead body, Zorpox!"

"Well, that can be arranged, my seductive former sidekick. But let me make you a counteroffer, one that you … _can't refuse_, shall we say?"

"You mean more like laugh at, full in your face, doofus?"

Zorpox huffed, "Now, don't get lippy. I'm offering you your life and a place at my side as I conquer the galaxy. And after that? Even the _sky _won't be the limit, Shego. There's an entire _universe_ out there. And as a little added incentive, I'll even allow you to deal Warmonga here the _coup de grâce_ you so deeply desired. And as a show of good faith …"

He touched a button on his wrist control, and Shego's shackles clattered to the floor. She was free.

Zorpox moved closer to Shego as he continued in a hushed voice.

"Warmonga obviously still has a soft spot for Drew, no doubt stemming from her original exhaustive search for the Great Blue. But her fatal attraction to the dear doctor can work to your distinct advantage. Well then, Shego, now's your chance. Destroy her and join me, or else I'll simply destroy you both."

Shego pondered the offer. "So, I can choose to live or die, but everyone else is toast no matter what I do?"

Zorpox leered, "That's about the size of it, my dear."

Shego looked deep into Warmonga's yellow eyes, the eyes of her adversary and rival. But the look in those eyes was somehow different. There was resignation to her fate within them now. She had been defeated, and she knew it. But there was still no request for mercy in her features. She had lived proudly, and she would die proudly.

Shego next looked longingly at Drew Lipsky, her former boss and current amour. A thousand feelings and emotions passed between them within the space of a moment.

Shego turned back to Warmonga and lit her plasma.

With a look of desperation, Kim glanced over at Ron. He sent a thought to her. _"__Not yet, KP. Rufus isn't in place yet.__"_

Kim realized that she had to stall for time, and that time was quickly running out. She quickly thought of a ploy, and prayed that she wouldn't accidentally push her cousin too far.

"I can hear the wheels spinning in your head, Shego."

"Yeah, I'm thinking about it, Princess."

"And I know you kissed him."

One eyebrow shot up. "Yeah, and what of it?"

"And I know about the note, and the flowers."

A brief look of surprise flashed across Shego's face. "How'd you know? Did the Ronster squeal?"

"Nah, I've been in Ron's mind and he's been in mine. No secrets. You should try it some time."

"Yeah, right, Cupcake."

"So, it sounds like everything you've ever wanted. You dumped Drakken before for Zorpox because he was the better villain. Now there seems to be some kind of wrongsick mutual attraction between you two, perhaps? And taking your revenge on Warmonga would be sweet. So what's stopping you?"

Shego winced at Kim's taunts, but realized that there was a grain of truth in each of her statements. She suddenly found herself at the crossroads of everything she had personally struggled with over the past few turbulent months. A struggle with good versus evil, and the physical embodiment of those concepts, plus a generous dollop of revenge thrown in for good measure to tempt her with. But these weren't merely concepts now. This was now a matter of life or death, hers first and foremost.

Drakken now represented the love she'd never had, and so desperately wanted now. And the realization of that need was achingly, tantalizingly close. But except for Ron and Rufus, they had all been captured by Zorpox, and were apparently under the threat of immediate destruction. But she could choose now whether to live or die, and her own act of self-preservation would probably not affect the lives of her friends one way or the other.

And Zorpox? She'd get her final revenge against Warmonga and be one step away from virtually unlimited power. And it wasn't like she had never had any feelings for Ron, now split between a spiritual good and a physical personification of evil. But could she live with herself being the lapdog of the person responsible for the imminent demise of her one true love, her friends and even her one-time enemy, now her close ally and cousin?

Decision time. Once she'd crossed the Rubicon there would be no turning back. So, which choice?

Shego's mind abruptly flashed back again to her dream. Her father with Zorpox's face, wanting to hurt her. Her mother with Kim's face, trying to save her. She looked once more at Drakken, his yearning for her clearly etched on his face. All at once, everything clicked into place within her mind.

_Zorpox only wants power and control. There's no humanity left in him. And I'd be at his beck and call, forever. Drakken on the other hand, megalomaniac as he is, still loves me. And I love him. I deserve a chance at love, and he does too. But Zorpox? No. Even if it now costs me my life, no. I will live, or die, for Drakken. And the temptation of ultimate power isn't enough to balance ultimate domination by Zorpox. _

She knew, however, that would spell everyone's immediate doom. She had to think of something else, and quick.

_But if I could find a way somehow to save all of our lives … _

As her plasma continued to flicker, she turned again toward Zorpox. "I'll make you a deal, Zorpox. I'll agree to be your sidekick, but only if you let everyone else go, including, and _especially,_ Dr. D."

Zorpox perked up. "Ooh, the self-sacrifice card. How _noble_ of you, Shego. But no, your friends would continue to be a thorn in my side until I would ultimately be forced to destroy them anyway. It's simpler if I take care of them all in the here and now."

Shego powered down her plasma, then folded her arms and shook her head in disdain. "Sorry, _Zorpy_. No dice. I love Drew, not power. And as strange as it may sound, I don't want to destroy Warmonga anymore either. She may have a crush on Dr. D, but that just shows that she has good taste, which is more than I can say for _you_."

Drakken was overwhelmed that Shego had just chosen him over perhaps her very life. In an act of sheer spontaneity he simply gushed, "Shego, I love you. Will … will you marry me?"

Shego was briefly taken aback by Drew's impulsive proposal. She replied with a touch of mock surprise, realizing that she had all but popped the question herself just a few minutes before.

"Drew! This … this is so _sudden_." Then she fixed her gaze on him with her deep emerald eyes, and continued in a warmer tone. "But as we're probably all about to die, then yes."

As Drew sighed contentedly, a smile escaped from the Lorwardian's lips. "Ooh, Warmonga is jealous of such devotion. She has underestimated you both."

Shego turned back to smirk at Zorpox. "And you? I kinda feel sorry for you, actually. You're totally without love, except for love of power, control, and for yourself. All you want is adulation. Oh, and maybe those damn Nacos. And I'd _always_ have to watch my back as your sidekick."

She smiled at him with a sarcastic grin. "And you know I'd _never_ learn to know my place …"

Zorpox was silent for a long moment, his expression totally unreadable. Finally he sneered, "Very well, my lithesome lovebird. I will remember you, but not fondly."

As Zorpox began to activate his Mystical Monkey Power in preparation for Shego's demise, Ron's face suddenly brightened. He smiled and nodded at Kim.

Kim quickly spoke up. "Yeah, and if you had your memories of the past year, you would have seen _this_ coming, Zorpox! _Now, Ron!_"

Ron instantly sent a telepathic message to Rufus. _"__Now, little buddy!"_

A gigantic click was heard as the room was suddenly plunged into total darkness. Not even the emergency lighting activated this time. A plummeting electronic hum was heard throughout the building as all the power completely failed within Lorwardia Prime. Within a few seconds, the energy grid across the entire planet had been totally shut down as well. The wartechs on the nearly completed battlestation in orbit above looked on in awe as the lights on the planet below flickered, then winked completely out.

Rufus giggled in victory. He had done it. He had located the Planetary Off Switch and flipped it at just the right moment. He continued to chatter gleefully as he pulled out a tiny acetylene torch, happily fusing the switch permanently closed.

No sooner had the lights faded than scores of tiny Kims immediately drilled through the floor from the sub-basement below, directly beneath Zorpox. Mentally guided by Ron to just the right spot, they had anxiously awaited his cue to attack. And they did so now with a vengeance. Like angry fireflies, they swarmed all over Zorpox, each group targeting one of his nefarious devices.

The first group attacked his wrist controller, precise plasma blasts frying its circuits into slag. With a blue flash, the second group crushed the mystical amulet's jewel into dust. Ron would now no longer be prevented from reentering his body. The third group took out all the rest of his weapons, starting with the Neurotomic Disabler. And in an act of calculated humiliation, one lone Kim blew away Zorpox's pants just for good measure.

The original Kim, now freed from her force field, smiled in approval. "Poetic justice has never been so … poetic!"

Shego was both amazed and deeply relieved at this wonderful reversal of fortune. "Whoa, nice trick there, Kimmie!"

Ron corrected her. "No, not a _trick_, Shego. A _trick-trick__!_"

In an identical imitation of Ron's reaction to previous experiences with bugs and spiders, Zorpox began screaming in frustration, futilely trying to bat away the multitude of miniature Kims.

"_Get them off me! Get them off me!_"

As he continued to battle his tiny adversaries, Yori had weakened her energy cuffs to the point that they simply fell off of their own accord. In the near darkness she sensed Shego's presence.

"Shego-chan! Hit me with your plasma!"

Shego responded, "What, are you crazy?"

"Hurry! It will recharge my battlesuit!"

Immediately understanding, Shego fired up both hands and let loose with a generous burst of energy. Yori's shields flared back into life.

"Domo, Shego-chan!" She instantly went into stealth mode and raced to assist Kim.

By the light of her plasma, Shego took careful aim and blasted Dr. Drakken's bindings into dust.

"C'mon Drew, we're outta here!"

Drakken rubbed his sore wrists and smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

She hesitated as she looked at Warmonga, still held fast by her bindings.

The Lorwardian now saw something different in Shego's eyes. The hate and jealousy of the prior few moments had disappeared.

She carefully ventured, "So, you will not destroy Warmonga?"

Shego shook her head. "Not today. A good friend just taught me the true meaning of mercy. That is, unless you put the moves again on my …"

She hesitated, then smiled. "My _fiancé_. Or else all bets are off. Truce?"

Warmonga nodded in the affirmative. "Truce. Warmonga swears it."

Shego blasted off her shackles, and they all moved toward Zorpox.

Unfortunately, Zorpox had quickly recovered from the initial attack, having activated his Mystical Monkey Power. Although he was unable to harm Kim or any of her duplicates, he could still hold them at bay.

Angry almost beyond measure, he growled, "My compliments on your brilliant tactics, Kimberly Ann, but you haven't won yet!"

He hastily opened an access panel on the wall and swiftly punched in several commands on the keypad. With a shimmer of sparkling light, he disappeared, along with the Mind Sifter.

Kim was amazed. "Whoa, what was that?"

Ron surmised, "Probably some kind of alien matter transport device. But where did he transport _to_?"

Kim quickly resumed her singular form and took a closer look. An electronic counter within the panel was ticking away.

"Hmm, too bad I can't read Lorwardian. But this looks suspiciously like a self-destruct countdown."

Warmonga rushed toward her. Kim was about to activate her powers in response to the apparent threat, but Shego quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whoa, Kim. Don't worry, we've agreed to a temporary truce."

Kim relaxed as the green amazon studied the panel. "Let Warmonga read. Ooh. 11 … 10 … 9 …"

Kim yelled, "EVERYBODY OUT OF HERE, NOW!"

Both Kim and Shego reflexively blew out the nearest wall as everyone beat a hasty retreat from the room. Just as they all rounded the nearest corner, a terrific explosion leveled Zorpox's lair, and everything in it.

Ron grumbled, "But I thought he said he had disarmed any self-destruct devices?"

Shego was incredulous. "And you _believed_ him?"

Kim looked amused. Apparently even the Mystical Monkey Master could still show some occasional naivety.

"Well, I guess we don't have to worry about any more tricks up Zorpox's sleeve, with all of his evil toys destroyed."

Ron warned, "Yeah, KP, but he still has the Mind Sifter, and the darker side of my Mystical Monkey Power. But where did he transport himself off to?"

"Well, let's just find out." They all made their way to the SL Coupe, where Kim activated the tracking device attuned to Ron's chip. A bright red dot pinpointed Zorpox's present location.

Ron brightened up. "Chips ahoy!"

A collective groan went up from the group.

Kim asked, "Okay, Warmonga. Do you recognize where this is?"

She nodded. "Yes. This is the Great Hall, where my father once ruled Lorwardia. Warmonga will take you there."

Meanwhile, Zorpox had placed the bogus chip into the Mind Sifter. Using its internal power source, he turned the machine on. Green indicator lights blinked, showing that the device was now operational.

"Excellent! Now to retrieve my memories and transport to my Naco of Doom, where I'll set course for Earth. My first interstellar conquest awaits! _Wah, wah-ha-ha-hah!_"

He flipped a switch, but instead of seeing the expected time display indicator, the screen displayed a curiously unexpected message.

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES EMISSIONS TEST COMPLETE. YOUR VEHICLE PASSES. CONGRATULATIONS.

"NO!" he screamed. "Kim Possible has _tricked_ me! She must have switched the real computer chip with a phony one! Well, no matter. She and her foolish friends will no doubt be arriving at any moment."

He clenched his fist in anger. "And when they do, I will _destroy_ them …"

With Warmonga in the lead, it only took Kim and the rest of Team Possible a few minutes to make the trek to the Great Hall. Rufus had joined them in the meantime.

Ron congratulated the clever naked mole rat. "Good work, Rufus! I knew we could count on you, buddy!"

Rufus chirruped his thanks as they approached the door to the Great Hall.

Kim turned to address the group. "Okay, everyone, Ron and I will go in alone. Without his mystical amulet, Zorpox won't be able to prevent Ron from reentering his body and taking it back. However, we have to expect that he's prepared for us and has activated his own Mystical Monkey Power. But we know that Zorpox can't harm me, so all of you lay low until either Ron or I signal you that it's safe to enter. Clear?"

They all nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Ron. Let's do this."

"Right with you, KP."

They entered the huge hall, which had one lone figure in it. Seated on the throne on the far side of the massive auditorium, Zorpox glowed with intense blue energy, lighting the room with an eerie, otherworldly glow.

His voice echoed ominously within the room. "Welcome, Team _Stoppable!_ I've been expecting you. Now hand over the _correct_ computer chip if you please, and I promise that your demise will be quick and painless."

Kim growled, "So not going to happen, Zorpox. This time it's _really_ over. Go, Ron!"

In a flash, Ron's spirit sped across the hall and immediately reentered Zorpox's mind. But once he entered it, he was met unexpectedly by what seemed to be an intensely blue wall of flame. Agonizingly hot, Ron could barely withstand the terrible conflagration, let alone approach it.

A maniacally evil laugh echoed through Ron's mind. _"__Welcome to hell, Ronald Dean Stoppable!__"_

* * *

_Oh, no! Has Ron finally met his 'match?' And will I again be 'flamed' for yet another cliffie? Answers to these and other 'burning' questions soon!_

_MA_


	28. Twilight of Zorpox

_Thanks to all who have reviewed: Liselle129, CajunBear73, screaming phoenix, whitem, Slipgate, Eddy13, LTAOZFAN, Katsumara, Grandmaster T, JCS1966, readerjunkie, princessvmlg, MegKevin, as roma supporter 10, saving kp, and to all who have continued to enjoy reading._

_Now for the ultimate battle that will decide the fate of Team Possible, and perhaps the galaxy: __Ron vs. Zorpox!_

* * *

Ron had finally succeeded in reentering his body, but his mind bore little resemblance to the one he had left only the day before. Now, it reminded him more of a cross between Dante's Inferno and the gas flame pizza oven at JP Bearymore's Pizza Party-Torium. Through the intense blue flame he spotted a solitary figure.

Zorpox.

Ron commanded, "Okay, Zorpox. I want my body back, and _you_ need to leave."

Zorpox smirked back, "Hmm. Ain't got no-_body_ to call your own? _Wah-ha-ha-hah!_ SO not going to happen, _Ronald Dean_. Come and get me, if you dare."

Ron stepped into Zorpox's mental flame and tried to approach him. But the closer he got, the more the temperature increased in intensity. Moving forward became sheer torture, and every step he took was more difficult than the last. Still, he pressed on. But after several minutes of herculean effort, he was totally exhausted. Ron realized that he just didn't possess the necessary strength to take on Zorpox at present. He only had his own soul and spirit, and apparently only half of his Mystical Monkey Power. Zorpox still had complete control of his physical body, and the other half of the power he'd need to regain it. Stalemate.

Ron thought to himself, _"__There's got to be another way."_

He peered at Zorpox, safely ensconced behind his flickering sheets of mystical flame.

Ron addressed him in a defiant tone. "This isn't over, Zorpox. I'll be back."

He reluctantly left his body, while Zorpox's evil laugh echoed through his consciousness. Kim was deeply concerned as Ron's spirit reappeared.

"Ron! What happened? Zorpox's body went all blue and flamy for a moment."

Ron's spirit wavered unsteadily in the air. "Bad news, KP. Zorpox has half of my powers and is fighting me every step of the way for control. I'm just not strong enough on my own to take him on and win back my body."

Kim's shoulders sagged as she was again faced with the prospect of having to actually destroy Zorpox. She desperately tried to think of something, anything that would tip the balance in Ron's favor. Zorpox interrupted her thoughts as he began to speak in deadly earnest.

"The chip, Kimberly Ann. And I grow tired of waiting. I'll give you one minute, and then I'm going after it, and no one will come out alive."

At that moment, a familiar soul once again chose to insinuate his presence within Ron's mind.

Sensei whispered, _"__Stoppable-sama. You are the true Mystical Monkey Master. But you are not the only being present that has been exposed to its mystical power. Remember that Rufus also shares this gift, and he can greatly assist you. You will also need a physical form in order to vanquish your enemy and reclaim what is yours, as this battle is only half mental."_

_"__Uh, completely mental in Zorpox's case, if you ask me_._"_

Sensei nodded in agreement. _"__Truly spoken, Stoppable-sama. But I refer to your_ _need for a physical form well trained in both Ninja fighting skills, as well as in the mystical arts."_

_"__Yeah, that's great Sensei, but where am I gonna find …"_ The obvious answer suddenly struck him. _"__Ooh! Yori!"_

_"__Very good, Stoppable-sama. And Rufus-san's Mystical Monkey Power will enhance your own and complete what you are missing, which will grant you the mystical edge in your conflict. But you must all act and fight as one, so a full convergence of your three minds must first be attained."_

Sensei smiled all-knowingly. _"__And a deep mystery which you have sought the answer to shall be revealed as well. But first, you must defeat Zorpox. Once you have rendered him unconscious, you must use the Mind Sifter to return Zorpox to his own time and place. Then you will be able to reinhabit your physical form once and for all. But you must hurry, as time is short."_

Sensei had also allowed Kim to hear his thoughts, and she stared with hope at the ghostly form of her fiancé.

"Good luck, Ron. I'll keep Zorpox busy until you can all complete the mind merge."

"Thanks, KP. We'll be right back." Ron swiftly passed through the huge door of the Great Hall toward his friends. Yori and Rufus were both waiting expectantly, prepared for their next move in this deadly chess game with Zorpox.

"Ron-san, Sensei enabled both Rufus-san and I to hear his plan. We are ready."

Without another moment's hesitation, Ron and Rufus both entered Yori's mind. All three minds quickly converged, becoming as one in a single instant. The new triple consciousness was complete. And now, both Yori and Ron were astounded at the unexpected revelation Sensei had hinted at.

_"__Whoa, Rufus! Way to keep a secret for over seven years, little buddy! I had no idea!"_

Yori was amazed as well. _"__Yes, this is most enlightening, Rufus-san. And I understand why it was necessary to keep secret. But now is not time for reflection: we must now fight our great battle to regain Ron-san's body. We now share necessary abilities to achieve total victory."_

Ron agreed. _"__Okay, team, let's do this. Ready Rufus?"_

The spirit of the naked mole rat quickly acknowledged with a mental _"__Uh-huh, Uh-huh!"_

Without a further thought, Yori began to glow with the incredible brightness of the Mystical Monkey Power. She rose off the ground, her eyes blazing with blue intensity. She glided toward the doors of the Great Hall, which automatically opened in mystic response to their combined power. She confidently entered the hall where Zorpox awaited. As Yori approached him, Kim looked on in awe at the glowing Ninja. The two adversaries began carefully circling each other, each intently studying the other before deciding whether to make the first move.

Zorpox began sarcastically, "So, _Yori-chan_. I must say that your new blue glow becomes you. But you're still no match for my devilicious evil, my little Ninja, your flashy new pyrotechnics notwithstanding."

Without taking her eyes off of the supervillain, Yori responded. But it was not only Yori's voice that now echoed throughout the cavernous Great Hall. The unified voice of Yori, Ron and Rufus eerily began to speak, melodically rising and falling together in chilling harmony.

"We are the Mystical Monkey Master. Our victory is now certain. Prepare to be defeated, evil one."

For the first time since his incarnation, Zorpox looked scared. "What kind of magic trick is this?"

He quickly recovered and glared back at this new threat. "No matter. It is _your_ defeat that we shall witness today. Prepare for your doom!"

With a mighty swipe of evil blue energy, Zorpox struck. But Yori simply raised a hand, and almost as an afterthought batted the blow away with ease. The powerful bolt instead struck the granite floor of the Great Hall, blasting huge chunks of rubble out of it. Kim quickly threw up a wall of plasma fire to incinerate the deadly projectiles before they could reach her.

The huge explosion brought Drakken, Shego and Warmonga rushing into the large auditorium to witness the incredible battle. Zorpox struck again and again, the ghastly apparition of a huge blue mystical monkey becoming visible for an instant with each blow. Yori smiled as she easily deflected every strike, effortlessly parrying each mystical thrust. Her smile increased with each attack, and Zorpox began to realize that this was not going to be the walkover that he had expected.

"Bravo, Yori, or whatever you are. You're indeed a worthy opponent, but you'll have to try a lot harder if you expect to defeat me!"

Zorpox opened his arms wide, suddenly bringing his hands together with incredible force. His Mystical Monkey Power responded to his command, catching Yori between two powerful hands of pure evil mystical energy. With the sound of a huge thunderclap, the mighty blow resounded through the hall. But once again Yori was unscathed, the blow simply bouncing off of her battlesuit's defensive screen, now fully charged with the nearly limitless energy of her new Mystical Monkey Power.

The unearthly trio of voices tersely responded, "We tire of your foolishness, Zorpox. Yield now or you shall surely perish."

Yori now attacked. With an intensely focused blast of pure blue-white energy, Zorpox was blown back with enough force to flip him over backwards, smashing him into the wall with terrific force. His mystical energy had absorbed most of the blow and he managed to land adroitly on his feet, but just barely. He was now clearly worried, and rapidly began firing hideous bolts of energy in the same style as Shego's plasma blasts. But again with each strike, Yori was able to absorb or deflect every bolt, returning each mystical discharge with one of her own.

Kim, Drakken, Shego and Warmonga watched in awe as they took in the incredible spectacle. But as much as they wished to assist, they each found themselves hard pressed just to avoid being caught in the crossfire or crushed by the rapidly disintegrating walls and ceiling. Each sought what little cover they could find in the quickly accumulating heaps of rubble as the fierce battle continued unabated.

The combat raged on, neither of the evenly matched opponents showing any signs of weakening. Each swiftly countered the other, move for move and blow for blow. By now, huge holes had been blasted in the walls and ceiling of the Great Hall, which was now open to the outside air. The early morning sun shone in, revealing deep scorch marks which had blackened what was left of the rubble-strewn floor.

From behind the cover of the rubble, both Kim and Shego tried to fire off bolts of plasma at Zorpox as any opening appeared. But Yori and Zorpox were both moving so quickly that it was difficult for the super-powered cousins to get a clear shot without accidentally hitting Yori. Drakken and Warmonga each simply held on for dear life as they tried to avoid being crushed by falling debris.

Zorpox was growing increasingly frustrated, and tried an evil ploy in order to break the stalemate. Rapidly moving around the remains of the room, he maneuvered close enough to Drakken and Warmonga to grab them both with his malevolent energy. He held them as human shields in front of him, preventing any further attacks.

He yelled out, "Stop! One more move, and I'll crush them both like eggshells!"

Drakken and Warmonga struggled futilely within the vice of Zorpox's hideous power. "Give me the chip, or they both die. NOW!"

Within Yori's mind, the unusual trilogy made a quick decision. _"__It is time. Let us summon our weapon and finish this once and for all."_

Yori raised her hand toward the sky. On the Kepler III in orbit above them, a Kanji-inscribed box rattled, then burst open, revealing the Lotus Blade. Having waited patiently to be called for use at this precise moment and hour, the Lotus Blade disappeared in a flash. A crack of thunder was heard as it streaked beyond the speed of sound through the hazy Lorwardian atmosphere. It slowed as it approached Lorwardia Prime, seeking its caller and rightful owner.

The sword entered through the now totally open roof of the Great Hall, but immediately stopped. The Lotus Blade hesitated, its mystical perception confused by the presence of not one, but two Mystical Monkey Masters. Or were there three? It wavered between the two brightly glowing beings locked in their deadly standoff. From one it sensed great peace and goodness, and immediately recognized the three spirits which had formed a most unusual mystical union. From the other, it only sensed great evil, nearly as terrifying and destructive as Yono the Destroyer.

The two antagonists gazed up at the glowing weapon that floated above them. Yori smiled in relief. Zorpox returned her smile with an evil gleam of his own.

"So! The much vaunted Lotus Blade, the sword of choice for the discerning Monkey Master. Armed with this weapon, I will defeat you and seal the fate of Team Possible. I don't think that even Kimberly Ann could withstand a blow from that formidable blade. And then the entire galaxy will bow to me, Zorpox the Conqueror! _Ah-Booyah-ha-ha-hah!_"

The Lotus Blade quickly realized who was worthy of possessing it, swiftly making its choice of whom its master would be. It began to glide toward Yori.

Zorpox yelled in both fear and anger, "No! I claim the sword! _Give it to me!_"

The mystical trinity forcefully responded, "You are only a pretender, Zorpox. The Lotus Blade belongs to the true Mystical Monkey Master. You shall not possess it."

Zorpox immediately dropped Drakken and Warmonga ignominiously onto the rubble-strewn floor of the embattled hall and lunged for the Lotus Blade. Catching it with a tendril of his arcane energy, he began to pull it toward him in a desperate attempt to gain the weapon. Yori likewise grabbed the blade with her mystical power as a deadly game of tug of war began. The winner of this struggle would undoubtedly unleash the full, raw powers of the weapon upon the other in short order.

Realizing this, Kim and Shego jumped up from behind the debris of the battle and fired up their plasma to full strength.

"Can't let _that_ happen. Ok, Shego. You hit 'em high…"

"And you hit 'em low!"

Both of them opened fire just as Drakken ordered his own tendrils into action. "Plants, _trip him!_"

Concentrating his full power on seizing the Lotus Blade, Zorpox began to weaken under the withering fire of the two powerful cousins. He also failed to notice the green filaments that began to stealthily entwine his feet. With one strong pull by Drakken, Zorpox was flat on the ground. He felt his power's grip on the sword loosen, then completely slip away.

Yori plucked the Lotus Blade from midair, swiftly swinging it around as she gained a sense of its exquisite balance. She approached Zorpox, now furiously trying to deflect Kim and Shego's blasts as he desperately tried to disentangle himself from Drakken's vines.

The mysterious triad again spoke. "We now must incapacitate him without destroying him completely. But how?"

Suddenly, the part that was Ron remembered an event from Camp Wannaweep many years previous, when he was being eaten alive by a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. The part that was Yori and Rufus smiled at what he had in mind. The uncanny voice spoke again.

"Turnabout is fair play, Zorpox. You said it yourself. It is time to treat you like the pest you are."

Yori raised the Lotus Blade high above her head as Zorpox looked back at her in fear. As he cringed from what he expected to be the final blow, he instead watched in bewilderment as the weapon was suddenly transformed into something slightly less lethal.

Yori began to furiously beat Zorpox with what appeared to be a huge blue flyswatter.

Kim began to laugh at the irony. "Yup, only Ron would come up with a solution like that."

Shego joined in as well. "Like you said, Kimmie, poetic justice is so … poetic!"

Zorpox's Mystical Monkey Power was being absorbed with every strike of the Lotus Blade's strange manifestation. His energy continued to fade until it was completely gone. Yori only stopped after Zorpox had been beaten totally insensate, and he now lay unconscious on the debris-strewn floor. The battle finally won, Ron left Yori's mind while Rufus returned to his own tiny body.

Yori breathed a sigh of contentment. They had been victorious, and her destiny had now been fulfilled. With her honor intact and her duty complete, she closed her eyes and offered up thanks to her mentor.

_"__Thank you, Sensei. You believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. You guided me to this point, and now Ron-san is safe, free to fulfill his own destiny with Kim-chan. I am honored to have been part of solution rather than part of problem_._"_

Sensei's warm voice spoke back to her within her mind. She could sense his pleasure as he replied.

_"__Domo, Yori-chan. I had the utmost confidence in your ability to not only assist in this hazardous rescue, but to play a critical part throughout the entire process. You have brought honor upon yourself, your friends, and Yamanouchi. Indeed, you have honored all that you have ever stood for. The Earth, yes, even the very galaxy, is in your debt."_

Yori reacted to Sensei's high praise by simply blushing, as she bowed her head in humility.

_"__No, Sensei. The Earth is in the debt of every one of us. All have survived thanks to the teamwork of Team Possible, and everyone has played their part_._"_

She lifted her head. Only one step now remained.

"Now we must use Mind Sifter to return Zorpox to his own time and place before he regains consciousness. Rufus-san, please retrieve missing computer chip while we secure Zorpox within Mind Sifter."

In a moment all was prepared. Well, almost.

Kim looked over the alien device with a perplexed glance. "Uh, Ron? How do we work this thing?"

Ron's spirit hovered over the Mind Sifter. "Ooh, good question, Kim. I didn't get a clear look at Zorpox as he was flipping the dials, since I was busy having my spirit forced out of my body at the time."

Drakken sighed heavily. "That's too bad, but ironically I had a clear view. Unfortunately I wasn't close enough to clearly see all of his adjustments."

Ron was struck by an idea. "Hmm. Maybe you can't remember by _yourself_, but perhaps with a little mystical enhancement … that is, if you don't mind?"

Drakken caught on to what Ron was hinting at. "A little mind-reading perhaps?" He shrugged and replied, "Of course, if it would help."

"No problemo, Dr. D. Just relax and concentrate on your memory of WarOwl adjusting those dials."

Drakken took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on his mental image of the Mind Sifter's settings.

Ron entered Drakken's mind, catching the exact moment of Zorpox's incarnation. Using his mystical abilities to enhance the scene, he was clearly able to see the machine's precise configuration. He figured that by simply reversing the controls, they would be able to send the erstwhile conqueror back to the time and place from where he came.

But before leaving Drakken's mind, he brushed against a stray thought from the doctor's distant youth. He briefly observed Drew's act of revenge on Butch in the third grade, the one that had landed him in detention for a month. Ron blanched at the memory.

"Ooh, Dr. D! That was just sick and wrong, dude."

Ron left the embarrassed doctor's mind post haste.

After another quick mind link with Kim, Ron had given her the correct settings and the knowledge to operate the machine. She quickly adjusted the dials and placed the alien helmet over Zorpox's head. She flipped the power button, and the green indicator lights danced in response, the device's internal power source still thankfully at full power.

"Okay, Ron, here we go. Everyone cross their fingers …"

She flipped the transfer switch and held her breath. A large ascending hum began, rising in volume and intensity. Zorpox immediately stiffened within his bindings.

Still unconscious, he mumbled in a hoarse whisper, "_I am … the Great Blue … ah-booyah … ha …_"

Slowly, his body relaxed as his blue coloring gradually faded, then disappeared completely. Likewise, the sound of Bach's Toccata and Fugue receded into the distance, its echoes reflecting off of the remains of the Great Hall. Zorpox was gone.

Ron's spirit hovered over the still form. With great care, he slowly entered his now motionless body. A few seconds passed while everyone tensely waited for any sign of life.

He took in an experimental breath, then exhaled. Kim's eyes went wide with hope. Another breath followed, then another. He slowly opened his eyes as he removed the helmet.

Tearfully Kim pleaded, "Ron, is it you? Is it _really_ you?"

Ron moaned, "Ooh. Yes, Kim, it's really me."

Kim released him from his bindings as he stood up painfully. "But holy guacamole, I really hit myself hard with that Lotus Flyswatter. Or was it Yori? Actually I guess it was all three of us, so I suppose you could call our temporary union _Yoronfus_ …"

Kim smiled and placed a finger on his lips to stop his rambling.

Shego shook her head. "Yup, the Ronster's back all right."

Ron continued, "Anyway, I'm gonna be bruised for weeks."

"Yeah, but there's one place you missed …" Kim licked her lips in anticipation.

Since the beginning of time there have been three kisses that were rated the most intense, the most passionate. This was another one of them.

Rufus jumped up and down with glee that his closest friend had finally been restored to his own body, as sore as it was, and reunited with his one true love. Drakken and Shego looked on in relief as well. Even the battered Warmonga managed a hint of a smile.

With a hint of trepidation in her voice, Kim asked, "Is there any part of Zorpox left, Ron? Do you have any of his memories at all?"

Ron reassured her, "Nothing left of him, KP, but I do have his memories."

He suddenly remembered something of extreme importance. "Oh, and by the way …"

He approached the remains of the imperial throne and popped open a secret compartment, shielded to prevent any radio waves from escaping. Inside was his wedding ring.

"Coolio! It's a miracle that it's still in one piece, considering everything in this hall was nearly destroyed in our knock-down-drag-out battle."

Kim brightened up considerably as he replaced the ring on his finger. She was then reminded of something rather important herself.

"And speaking of rings …"

She turned to face Rufus, who returned her gaze with a look of pure innocence. "So, Rufus. Do you mind explaining about our rings, our little mystery rodent? It's time to spill."

Yori and Ron exchanged a knowing glance as Rufus scurried away.

Ron volunteered, "I think I can explain, Kim. Rufus has been kind of our guardian angel since even before the start of Team Possible. Not only is he a naked mole rat, but he's also …"

At that moment Rufus returned, carrying some tiny electronic gear which he had previously rescued from WarOwl's lab. As he attached the device to himself and carefully activated it, Rufus began to glow with a deep indigo color. With her comet-enhanced vision, Kim could tell that the glow also extended deep into the ultraviolet spectrum. Rufus continued to adjust the device as his hue deepened and intensified. With his fine-tuning nearly complete, Rufus began to speak in much clearer English and a deeper tone of voice than anyone had ever heard from him before.

"Hello, is this thing on?"

With one final adjustment, he first bowed his head to Ron, then to Kim, and began his eloquent discourse.

"There, that's much better. This device will enable me to explain everything much more succinctly, and hopefully to your satisfaction. As Ron was about to say, I'm much more than your garden-variety naked mole rat, if you'll pardon the pun. I was genetically engineered by a race of benevolent extraterrestrials, as yet unknown to you, for an important deep-cover mission. This was necessary due to my creator's unusual nature, which prevents them from direct physical intervention in interstellar affairs. As this assignment would be critical to Earth's continued existence as well as the restoration of peace throughout the galaxy, it was therefore necessary to create me in order to work by proxy. And these same aliens created the comet that gifted you with your extraordinary powers, Kim."

For one of the few times in her life, Kim was totally speechless.

Rufus continued. "I was assigned to assist you and Ron in any way possible throughout your adventures together until the time was right to enable you with your comet powers, without blowing my cover of course. Kim, your ring was created to enhance the signal of the homing beacon I placed into it and attract the comet to you. Ron, I also placed an ultra-long-range homing beacon into your ring, should you go missing, which is exactly what happened."

Ron complained, "Oh, man, chipped by my own _pet_?"

Rufus chuckled. "But fortuitous in retrospect, don't you agree? But I digress. The aliens first needed someone on Earth as a liaison in order to facilitate my adoption. They approached Sensei after discovering him while on the Astral Plane. He readily agreed, but was sworn to secrecy for obvious reasons. Working through him, they arranged for my purchase by Ron at Smarty-Mart."

Ron nodded in understanding. "Well, that explains why Sensei has always avoided any mind-merging himself, and left my final mystical training up to Yori. And it also explains that freaky ninja that sold me Rufus in the first place."

"Precisely. However, my cover was nearly blown a few years back when Dr. Director of Global Justice began studying the 'Rufus Factor,' after dismissing the 'Ron Factor' as the reason for Team Possible's amazing successes. Sensei secretly contacted her and informed her of the critical nature of my mission, and the project was quietly dropped."

Kim observed, "So you've been the behind-the-scenes helper of Team Possible from the very beginning?"

"Yes. Through the years you've come to depend on me, and at times I've even saved you from certain doom. In one sense, I'm surprised that you didn't catch on quicker to what was going on, given my unusual abilities and attributes. The reality is that real naked mole rats are nearly completely blind, live underground in colonies, and can't survive as a pet on their own. Nevertheless, we all truly befriended each other and got used to each other's quirks, faults and foibles. And my predilection for cheese, by the way."

Kim and Ron both chuckled in agreement.

"But once Warmonga showed up, we knew that it was now only a matter of time before you'd be called upon to protect your planet from the advancing Lorwardians. But their prophecy of the Great Blue wasn't the only one of which we were aware. Another race of aliens, currently allied with your military at Earth's Area 51, brought the prophecy of the Great Red with them. She would rescue an unstoppable simian from beyond the stars."

Shego folded her arms and smirked, "So Kimmie. You really _are_ the Great Red. It figures."

Rufus nodded. "Indeed. And as Kim continued to save the world on a regular basis even _without_ extraordinary powers, this confirmed their choice on whom to bestow these powers."

Kim blushed. "Well, I did work hard at mastering sixteen styles of Kung Fu as well as developing my cheerleading skills, which turned out to be of more practical value than I figured at first."

"Not only that, but this also meshed with our knowledge of a third prophecy, this one regarding the Ultimate Monkey Master: Ron Stoppable. They now had a name, and with his deepening friendship with Kim, they simply put two and two together. They suspected that the Lorwardian's prophecy of the Great Blue was somehow connected, but weren't completely positive. But they knew that the Lorwardians would be searching for the one who would reach out to them from beyond the stars."

Now it was Warmonga's turn to be curious.

She queried, "So, the prophecy is true? And Lorwardia will yet conquer the galaxy?"

Rufus shook his tiny head. "There's actually more than one interpretation possible here, Warmonga. You speak of military conquest. Another possibility is that the Great Blue would assist you in conquering your warlike nature so that the galaxy could work together in peace and mutual cooperation instead."

Warmonga's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Ooh. That's deep."

"But with the Lorwardians on the march, you first had to be halted somehow. And with your incredible war machine, to simply block you from expansion would have forced a bloody conflict, causing terrible casualties on both sides. We needed to nip the problem in the bud right on your home planet, using one single extraordinary individual."

Kim ventured, "And so you created a comet that would grant the one it hit with totally spankin' powers."

"Yes. As you've probably noticed, your powers give you rather special offensive and defensive abilities against both the Lorwardians and their unique weapons. But although my creators foresaw Ron's eventual transformation into the Mystical Monkey Master, they couldn't have foreseen the rise of Zorpox. Nor could they have guessed that Dr. Drakken would himself be mistaken for the Great Blue, and under the most bizarre of circumstances, hire Shego as his sidekick, one of the first recipients of comet power."

Shego was now even more interested. "Yeah, I was hoping you'd get around to that. So what was the deal with that first comet?"

Rufus sighed. "As supremely prescient and intelligent as my creators are, they're not infallible. Their calculations and timing were slightly … off. Shego, these powers are geared to your family's specific DNA, and were initially meant for only one person: you."

Shego was astounded. "Whoa. So I really could have become, what? The Great Green?"

Kim smiled. "I told you to be careful what you wish for, Shego. And you really are the 'Great Green' in my book. You were a critical part of making this whole rescue mission work."

Rufus agreed. "Yes, Shego, in that sense I wholeheartedly agree. But when those powers were accidentally spread out among your brothers as well, my creators knew that they would need to try again, but this time with your cousin Kim. So an operative was needed who could ensure that the comet hit the right person at the right time, which is where I came in."

Ron quickly realized that there could have been yet another possibility. "Ooh, so Jim and Tim could have potentially gotten these powers too?"

Everyone who knew of the Tweeb's mischievous history were immediately horrified at that thought.

Rufus answered in deadly earnest, "Yes, only it would be best not to reveal this to them. The consequences of such power in Jim and Tim's hands would be … well, I really don't have to finish that statement now, do I?"

Everyone shivered in fearful response.

Kim then spoke up. "Well, I've got to say that this really is a big surprise, Rufus. And although this sitch sends my weirdar totally off the scale, it kind of makes sense in a really strange sort of way. But no stranger than some of our past adventures have been, I guess. And looking back, I'm kinda glad that I didn't know about all of this from the start."

Ron chimed in, "Yeah, Kim. If you knew what was going to happen in the future, you might have accidentally changed something that would have caused it not to happen, or become so certain of the outcome that you became careless."

Kim cocked an eyebrow. "Hmm. Sounds suspiciously like a line from _Space Passage_."

Ron laughed self-consciously. "_Heh-heh_. Guilty as charged, KP."

Kim turned to Warmonga. "Well, now that we know the background, where does this leave us now? We're still technically at war, and with both Warhafter and Zorpox gone, who's running the show?"

Warmonga smiled and nodded. "If you will direct your vision to our main viewing screen, you will see that all entertainment channels are now fully operational and being adequately produced and directed by our glorious wartechs."

Kim grimaced. "Uh, let me rephrase that. Who's in charge of the planet now that Zorpox has been defeated?"

"Ooh, sorry, Warmonga understands now. First, she is pleased that Zorpox is gone, and that both of the blue ones have been reunited with their battlemates. Warmonga also officially and permanently renounces any claim on either of them as her _own_ battlemate."

Ron and Drakken both heaved gigantic sighs of relief while Shego nodded in happy approval.

Warmonga continued as she sighed heavily herself. "She would also truly like to survive into her old age. But we now have no living Emperor to rule Lorwardia, and we again have two candidates for the Great Blue."

Ron sighed, "Well, Dr. D, for some reason I'm in no mood to fight you for that title right now." He pulled out a coin. "Best two out of three?"

Kim laughed. "The leader of Lorwardia's military forces decided by a coin toss? So not the drama …"

She tapped her chin as she tried to come up with a better solution. "How about this? Let's let both of you share the title until we can sort this whole thing out."

Ron piped up, "Coolio, Dr. D! We'll be the Great _Blues!_ And we can use the actor's names from _The Blues Brothers _as our code names!"

He imitated a Secret Service agent using his comm link. "_SHHHK!_ … Belushi has left the Bueno! Repeat, Belushi has left the Bueno! Over! … _SHHKK!_"

Shego placed one fist on her hip and griped, "Sounds more like the Great Bozo to me."

Drakken rolled his eyes. "I'll agree, but only if you stop that right now, Ron."

Ron snickered, "Just staying true to my essential Ronness, Dr. D!"

Kim smiled. "Thanks, Dr. Drakken. And Warmonga, since your father was the Emperor, can you assume the title of Regent until a clear decision regarding succession can be made by your High Council?"

The Lorwardian smiled and nodded. "Warmonga would need official approval from them, but agrees that this is a good plan. And in view of your genetically enhanced pet's revelation, shall we declare a truce between Lorwardia and Earth until which time formal peace negotiations can begin?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ron beamed widely at Kim. "Wow, Kim! Badical! Your first diplomatic victory, and you haven't even started International Diplomacy at college yet!"

Shego added, "And I have to admit, Kim. You were right in getting me to spare Warmonga here, and not just for my own sake. If I'd totally taken her out, there'd be one hell of power vacuum right now."

Drakken agreed. "Yes, Kim, I also have to admit that you're … _all that_."

Suddenly, Kim's wrist Kimmunicator began beeping. Jim appeared on the tiny screen, looking frantic.

"Kim! Emergency! That Death Naco has just left orbit, and it's picking up speed!"

Kim huffed, "Oh, great. Now what?"

Warmonga commanded, "Quickly! Follow me!"

They all raced after her as she ran toward the nearest communications room. She activated the screen, and a swarthy Lorwardian in an obviously foul mood appeared.

She intoned, "This is Warmonga, daughter of the great Warhafter and Regent of Lorwardia. What is the reason for leaving orbit with that ship?"

The Lorwardian angrily replied, "I'm taking this ship to Earth to either force its surrender or destroy it completely! Lorwardia will be embarrassed by these puny humans no longer!"

Ron's eyebrows shot up. "Hey, Kim! That's the Lorwardian whose mind I read for the security codes!"

Kim frowned. "And the same Commander that Yori and I clobbered on the bridge of his now destroyed battlecruiser. If there's a single Lorwardian who had a bone to pick with us now, he'd be the one. I guess he was rescued by a shuttle and decided to commandeer that … that Naco of Doom."

Warmonga spoke again. "Commander, a truce has been declared. You will stand down and return to Lorwardia at once!"

The Commander sneered, "Sorry, Warmonga, you're breaking up. Repeat your message please."

The connection was broken.

Ron volunteered, "Not to worry, Kim. I'll just perform a little mind mojo and encourage him to return, no problemo."

Jim signaled again. "Kim, it looks like he's just gone to hyperlight speed!"

Ron frowned. "Ooh, BIG problemo, KP. I can't travel on the Astral Plane if he's going faster than light."

Kim grimaced. "Okay, Jim, hold on! We'll all fly back up and rendezvous with you in fifteen minutes!"

Jim shot back, "No time, Kim! We'll stop him!"

Kim yelled back, "No way, you two! You _will _wait for us, or else I'll have you both grounded until you're a _hundred!_"

But Jim just grinned and said, "Sorry, Kim, you're breaking up. Repeat your message please."

The connection was broken.

Kim stomped her foot in frustration. "TWEEBS!"

Shego shrugged and lamented, "I told you we shouldn't have left them up there by themselves …"

* * *

_And just when things were starting to look up ... Will the Tweebs be able to single-handedly stop the Naco of Doom, or will the Earth feel the ultimate wrath of the Lorwardian Commander? Remember that anything's possible for a Possible… Update soon._

_MA _


	29. Revenge of the Tweebs

_My grateful thanks to all of who have reviewed so far: readerjunkie, Katsumara, screaming phoenix, CajunBear73, savingkp, Eddy13, whitem, Grandmaster T, unwrittenaria, MrDrP, heartsyhawk, Liselle129, JCS1966, TheRedCommie, and princessvmlg, and to all who have enjoyed reading. And if you leave a review, I'll leave a reply._

_And with a tip of the hat to MrDrP's excellent Prize Daze, I present for your reading pleasure: So Not Almost Quite the Finale Yet!_

* * *

"Everyone to the SL Coupe, quick!" Kim ordered.

Shego held a hand up. "Whoa, Kimmie. There's no way your set of wheels can catch up with either the Tweebs or that Naco of Doom if they've already broken orbit. We'll need a Plan B."

Ron interjected, "Uh, I think we're up to at least Plan D by now, Shego."

Shego muttered something unintelligible in response.

Warmonga quickly spoke up. "But Warmonga's space cruiser will still be able to intercept them. Follow me. Hurry!"

The Lorwardian pounded toward her ship, with everyone else racing to keep up.

Kim asked breathlessly, "Warmonga, can your ship carry my car too? We may need to use it as a shuttle."

"Of course. The cargo bay will provide more than enough room. Warmonga will open the hatch for you."

Kim ordered, "I'll grab the SL Coupe. Everyone else onto the ship with Warmonga!"

But just before boarding her space cruiser, Ron and Drakken both felt an uneasy sense of déjà vu, having just spent several uncomfortable days on this very ship.

Ron hesitated. "Uh, are we all sure about this?"

Under her breath Shego reassured him, "I think so. Just remember that we have a truce in place. But if Warmonga decides to change her mind, we've got her kind of outnumbered, even if it _is_ her ship."

Drakken added, "I agree with Ron that this ship brings back some unpleasant memories, but under the circumstances I'm willing to bite the bullet."

Warmonga overheard Drakken's comment and promised, "Do not worry, my former snarfgribble. Warmonga will keep her word. But why would you wish to chew on an explosive cartridge? That would be harmful to your teeth and could also cause you severe injury if it went off."

Drakken shook his head in exasperation. "Warmonga, remind me to buy you a book on American slang once we're back on Earth …"

Kim quickly docked the SL Coupe within the cruiser. With a roar, the space cruiser took off in hot pursuit of the Tweebs and the Naco of Doom. As Kim walked toward the command section, she noticed that the ship's Off Switch had been fused in the open position. Apparently Warmonga had been forced to do that after several successful attempts at sabotage by Rufus. Kim grinned knowingly.

"Good little naked mole rat! Even if you _are_ genetically engineered."

She entered the bridge and asked, "Warmonga, I've been meaning to ask about that Off Switch sitch. Why do the Lorwardian's seem to have this obsession with something so apparently silly?"

Warmonga was obviously uncomfortable with the question. "It … it is an embarrassing story. During our civil wars, one side decided to annihilate the other by destroying the Planetary Power Station. But by doing that, they nearly exposed the core of its singularity reactor. If that had happened, a black hole would have formed and engulfed the entire planet, and our entire race would have perished. Fortunately, this near disaster resulted in negotiations which led to the end of our civil war. Our first Emperor then decreed that any power source able to cause massive destruction on such a scale should have an Emergency Off Switch. It has prevented many accidents, but unfortunately an entire ship can now be disabled with a mere flip of that accursed switch. Long have I questioned its wisdom, but Imperial decrees cannot easily be ignored."

Kim reasoned, "So, are you saying that all we need to do is find the Off Switch for that Naco of Doom in order to turn it off?"

Ron spoke up, sadly shaking his head. "Sorry, Kim. When Zorpox built that thing, he made sure that there was no Off Switch. Shutting that thing down won't be a piece of cake."

Warmonga was about to question how a space station could be shut down with a piece of cake, but quickly reconsidered when she saw the stern looks everyone was suddenly giving her.

* * *

Back on the Kepler III, Jim had just made the necessary course adjustments to intercept the Naco of Doom.

"Okay Tim, hold on!" Jim punched the engines to maximum. In a flash, the Kepler III made the jump to hyperlight speed and was in hot pursuit of the massive space station.

Tim warned, "You know that Kim's gonna kill us, don't you?"

Jim reassured his brother, "Not if we take out that battle station first."

Tim shrugged. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

"Well, if we can increase the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor's rift aperture enough, we might be able to swallow it whole."

Tim shook his head. "Uh, so not. Aren't you forgetting how big that thing is? I don't think that it's possible to increase the size of the fissure nearly enough to suck that entire thing into it."

Jim scratched his head in thought. "Yeah, but maybe we can slow it down if we take a big enough bite out of it. Even if we could get it to drop to sublight speed, that would be something at least. Anything to keep it away from Earth."

Tim agreed. "Yeah, it's worth a shot. So, how about boosting the power of the disruptor by tying the hyperlight engines directly into it?"

Jim disagreed. "Nah, we'd probably have to drop to sublight ourselves. But maybe we can cross-circuit the plasma disruptor's power cables instead. That should give it a cool boost!"

Tim nodded and quickly began rewiring the power couplings. In just a few minutes, he had completed the necessary adjustments. "Okay, looks like we're ready."

Jim grinned, "Just in time, too! We're gaining on that thing real fast."

Jim rapidly closed with the Death Naco, and in another minute had passed the massive craft, taking up a position directly in its path. He slowed down the Kepler just enough to allow the battle station to close the range.

"Fire when ready, Tim!"

Tim flipped the switch, and the cargo bay door opened, deploying the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor. Deftly adjusting the controls, he turned the massive dish to face the rear of the Kepler. Peering intently through the targeting scanner, he locked the crosshairs on the gigantic craft.

"Okay, here goes nothing!"

He hit the firing button. A large hum was again felt throughout the ship as an intense green ray of energy lanced out, forming a huge circle in space nearly twice as large as before. But rather than pulling a piece of the space station into it, something began to emerge from the pulsating field of energy instead. The three Lorwardian battlecruisers that had previously been swallowed up by the vortex suddenly exited from the deep blue maelstrom, each having spent several days within a bizarre fold of the space-time continuum.

Jim yelled, "You dork! You have that stupid thing set on reverse!"

Tim frantically began to reverse the controls. But before he could readjust them, scores of escape pods began leaving the disabled ships which remained dead in space, directly in the path of the Naco of Doom. Collision alarms sounded as the battle station's helmsman frantically tried to avoid the ships, but its terrific speed and momentum made a crash inevitable. The huge craft slammed into the three smaller ships, which immediately exploded into fiery plumes of superheated vapor.

The Commander barked, "Damage report!"

Subcommander Warpenguin quickly glanced at the status readout. "We've sustained some damage, but apparently not severe. Unfortunately, our primary plasma weapon is now offline. I recommend we drop to sublight speed to ascertain the full extent of the collision."

The Commander huffed angrily, but nodded in agreement. The ship slowed to sublight, then stopped completely.

"Hicka bicka boo!" Jim exclaimed as he dropped the Kepler out of lightspeed as well.

Tim cheerfully responded, "Hoosha! We've done it! Now I'll fire up the Continuum Disruptor the _right_ way and see how big a chunk I can take out of it!"

He quickly adjusted the controls, aimed and fired. Another rippling whirlpool of intense gravimetric force formed directly on the surface of the gigantic space station in exactly the same spot where the previous damage had been done. Huge chunks of debris were rapidly torn out of the huge weapon.

The Commander growled, "Not this time, humans!" He turned to the weapons officer. "Target that ship and commence fire!"

The battle station's secondary disruptor array began to activate, its powerful dischargers crackling with incredible energy. Taking careful aim, the weapons officer punched the firing button. A powerful bolt of energy lanced out, one tendril of the beam glancing off the continuum disruptor and shattering the focusing disk. Another tendril hit the seam directly between the Kepler III and the Lorwardian part of the craft, splitting the mélange cleanly in two.

Both Jim and Tim were thrown out of their seats. "Whoa! What the heck was that?"

Jim desperately tried to regain control of the Kepler, which was now spinning wildly out of control. But the momentum of the Lorwardian portion sent it hurtling directly toward the battle station, impacting it a few seconds later. In an incredible stroke of luck, it hit dead center at the exact point where both the battlecruisers and the continuum disruptor had already caused severe damage. Plunging deep into the interior of the monstrous craft, a huge explosion erupted from it in a fiery sheet of flame.

Something strange immediately began happening. The Tweebs watched as the outward blast of the explosion began to slow, then briefly stop, as if they had just put a movie on pause. The explosion froze for only an instant before amazingly going into reverse, as shards of metal and debris began to be sucked back into the battle station. Alarm bells began sounding in the Kepler.

Tim asked, "Uh, what's going on?"

Jim ventured, "Well, this red light's blinking on the gravimetric indicator. It's showing huge gravity waves coming from the Death Naco all of a sudden, which might be signaling the presence of …"

Both of the Tweebs gasped in horror. "A BLACK HOLE!"

Jim blurted out, "Jinx! You owe me a soda!"

Tim replied sarcastically, "Yeah, but only if we get outta this sitch alive!"

They both watched with equal parts of fascination and terror as the now exposed engine core of their former propulsion section began to rip the battle station apart. Emergency klaxons began to go off all over the Naco of Doom, now apparently doomed itself.

Warpenguin anxiously announced, "Commander! That ship's engine core is destabilizing our own core! And if our own core should implode, everything within one parsec will be sucked into it, starting with us!"

The Commander barked, "Activate the Emergency Off Switch! Quickly!"

The Subcommander paled as he delivered some very bad news. "Uh, sir, I regret to inform you that the Great Blue purposely had this ship built without one. He claimed it would be too easy for an enemy to simply shut it down."

The Commander's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "What? Of all the idiotic things to do …"

He slumped back into his command chair. "So you're saying there's no way to shut it off or stop it?"

"Unfortunately, sir."

The Commander sighed, "Warpenguin, you may have just written our epitaph."

He hung his head in resignation to their apparent fate and pushed the shipwide intercom button. For the second time that week he calmly ordered, "All hands to escape pods. Abandon ship."

At that moment, Warmonga's ship dropped out of hyperlight speed. Everyone gasped when they saw the huge battle station, now disabled and hanging dead in space. Huge chunks of the ship had already been torn out of its gigantic hull, and were being drawn into its interior as the ship began to collapse in upon itself.

Shego seemed to be the only one not surprised by this turn of events. She simply folded her arms and shook her head in dismay. "Kimmie, I warned you that it was a bad idea to leave those two up here by themselves …"

Kim was immediately concerned about the fate of her two irascible brothers, when she spotted the Kepler III less than a hundred kilometers away, desperately trying to escape the dying battle station's rapidly increasing gravity well. She noticed right away that the Lorwardian half of the ship was entirely missing, and activated her Kimmunicator.

"You Tweebs are _so _busted! What in the world happened?"

Jim grinned awkwardly. "Oh, uh, hi Kim! Funny thing, when the Death Naco fired at us it wrecked the Kinematic Continuum Disruptor and broke the ship in two, but the Kepler part still seems to be fine. But, _heh-heh_, it seems that the Lorwardian engine core got a little exposed when it hit the space station."

Warmonga frowned as she checked her sensor readings. "Instruments indicate that the space station's engine core has also been destabilized. Should that engine implode, we would immediately be drawn into it as well. Then, Lorwardia itself would be swallowed up by the naked singularity that would result. Warmonga is having trouble even now maintaining enough thrust to keep us away from the incredible gravity that it is now generating, and estimates perhaps 15 minutes before implosion."

Kim announced determinedly, "Then I've got to stop it. Millions of lives are hanging in the balance, including our own."

Shego's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa, Kimmie! How do you plan on doing that? That thing's about to become powerful enough to suck everything within a light year into it, and that includes the entire Lorwardian star system!"

Kim shrugged. "Well, I'm the girl who can do anything, aren't I? Besides, I don't think we have much choice."

Ron declared, "Then I'm coming with you, KP."

Kim shook her head. "No Ron. If I can't stop it, that might be the end for me. I wouldn't want you to die too."

But Ron wasn't about to be denied. He stated resolutely, "That's _my_ choice, KP. Besides, living without you would be worse than death. If we can fix that thing, we'll fix it together. And if we die, we'll die together. We've been through way too much lately for you to expect me to let you go at this alone. Remember when I said that no matter whatever happens to us in the future, I'll always love you, no matter what? Well, we're a team as well as almost being husband and wife, and there's nothing in this universe that I'll ever let come between us, and that includes black holes."

Kim reached out to gently caress her fiancé's face. "Oh, Ron! That's the most tragically romantic thing you've ever said!"

Ron self-consciously scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, your Dad wouldn't be too happy if you got sucked into a black hole and I didn't do anything about it. I'd never be able to face him again. He'd probably want to launch _me_ into one!"

Kim said encouragingly, "Well, let's make sure that never happens then."

She turned to Warmonga and asked, "So, any ideas on how to shut that thing down?"

Warmonga ventured, "If its own Off Switch still exists, that would be the best way. It would be in the same location as on this ship. But how could you survive the gravitational forces so close to the engine core? They would be absolutely crushing."

"Well, let's hope my powers are strong enough to keep me alive long enough to flip that switch."

Ron smiled and offered, "Well, my Mystical Monkey Power didn't let either me or Zorpox harm you, Kim. I'm willing to bet it'll help me _protect_ you too. So don't worry, KP. I've got your back."

"Thanks, Ron. But will your powers protect me from the vacuum of space, too? I still have to get into that ship somehow."

Yori volunteered, "Kim-chan, please use your battlesuit to protect yourself and Ron-san. It has been great honor to wear, but you now have greater need of it."

Kim was touched by Yori's generous offer. "Thanks, Yori. I'll be honored to wear it again."

Rufus perked up, still hooked into his translation device. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we now have … Plan E!"

This elicited a smile from almost all present, but only another groan from Shego. Yori and Kim quickly went into the next compartment to exchange outfits. Within a minute Kim was back in her battlesuit, and Yori was now clothed in Kim's mission outfit.

"A nice fit, Kim-chan. I shall wear it with honor until you return." Yori bowed her head and added, "_Gokouun o inorimasu_, Kim-chan and Ron-san."

The Lorwardian amazon stated, "We will remain here as long as Warmonga can maintain our distance from the battle station. Good luck."

Dr. Drakken chimed in, "Yes, good luck. You are both indeed ... all that."

Shego chided, "And just remember, Cupcake. If you don't come back, I'll just have to kill you."

Kim chuckled, "I'll try to remember that, Shego."

Without any further hesitation, Kim and Ron climbed into the SL Coupe and launched toward the collapsing battle station. The gravitational forces could be felt immediately, and increased dramatically the closer they got. They began hurtling ever faster toward the crippled space station.

Ron began to activate his Mystical Monkey Power. "Okay, KP, let's see what I can do to help."

A blue glow began to envelop the SL Coupe, and the gravitational effects immediately lessened. Their speed also decreased to a more easily controlled velocity.

Kim was greatly encouraged. "Spankin', Ron! Keep it up!"

She deftly maneuvered around the huge pieces of wreckage that continued to be swept into the rapidly increasing maw of the doomed ship. But she soon discovered that everything that had been sucked into the battle station's interior had cocooned their target within a thick and apparently impenetrable layer of wreckage and debris.

Kim frowned. "This is so the drama, Ron. I may be able to shrink myself small enough to find a way through, but how are you going to get in to protect me?"

Ron grinned. "Say no more, KP." His spirit gently entered Kim's mind.

_"__While my body remains in the SL Coupe, I'll be with you every step of the way, Kim.__"_

Ron's presence within her mind was a great encouragement to her, and she sent a grateful thought back to him. _"__Thanks, Monkey Boy.__"_

Kim activated her battlesuit's force field and proceeded to shrink herself to near infinitesimal size. She entered the trunk of the SL Coupe from the back seat, using it as a makeshift airlock to exit the SL Coupe. Still protected by the blue glow of Ron's Mystical Monkey Power, she began floating outside her car, and immediately saw that the engine portion of the Lorwardian cruiser had become wedged deep within the battle station. Allowing herself to be carried by the rushing air that was being sucked out of the station and into what remained of the cruiser, she was pulled through a tiny crevice in the wreckage. Within moments she was inside the ship.

Kim increased her size and breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, Ron, here we are."

Ron sent a thought to Kim. _"__Whoa, KP. Badical way of getting in here.__"_

The engine room was now lit only by the flickering of the singularity engine, casting its baleful glow like some kind of otherworldly eye. The weakened hull groaned ominously as the terrific gravimetric forces threatened to crush Kim like an eggshell. The exposed core was spinning malevolently within its damaged frame, and was now only moments away from totally destabilizing the battle station's own engine core. This would result in a terrifying implosion, dooming the Lorwardian star system and everyone in it.

Kim speculated, "Not much time left. And not much of this ship left either."

Ron thought back, _"__Yeah, this would be so cool if it weren't about to crush us into a pancake!__"_

Then she spotted what she had been searching for. She gasped, "Ron, look! The Off Switch! And it still looks functional!"

She quickly moved toward the switch. But just as she reached for it, the hull finally gave way, rupturing with an incredible crash. Thousands of tons of wreckage compressed by unimaginable gravitational forces now tried to crush Kim out of existence. Compounded by the terrifying might of the singularity drive's quantum energy source, it threatened to tear apart the very fabric of space-time, and Kim and Ron right along with it.

Kim began to glow intensely blue as she activated her super strength. Ron immediately drew upon the full strength of his Mystical Monkey Power, reinforcing the supersuit's force field with his arcane energy. Grunting with awesome effort, Kim strained against the overwhelming force that was threatening to pulverize her and Ron. Gritting her teeth she thought, _"__When an irresistible force meets an immovable object, something's got to give ...__"_

Ever so slowly, their combined powers began pushing back the inconceivably powerful forces, until a perfectly round field of sapphire blue stabilized around them. Now glowing blue white with effort, sweat trickled down Kim's face from the incredible exertion, but they had done it. Relieved that she had succeeded in counterbalancing the astonishing pressure, Kim now reached out again for the Off Switch, but was dismayed to find that it had been crushed in the collapse.

Kim growled angrily, "nnnNNNGGGHHH! This is just perfect! Now how are we going to shut this thing down? Man, where's a bobby pin when you really need it ..."

Ron thought, _"__Wait, Kim! You've just given me an idea ...__"_

He concentrated deeply for a moment and called for the one thing that could save them.

With a sudden shimmer of light, the Lotus Blade appeared before them in all of its mystical glory. Using his power to again manipulate its form, Ron gave it an unusual command. With a brilliant flash, the sword morphed itself into an Emergency Off Switch. Floating before the remains of the engine panel, it adjusted its size and shape to perfectly fit the opening vacated by the broken off switch.

Kim was amazed. "Wow, way to go, Ron!"

Ron grinned inwardly. _"__Just using the power of imagination, Kim.__"_

She quickly reached out and pulled the substitute switch. A large click was heard, and the engine core began to slowly stop its hellish oscillation. The crushing force of gravity immediately began to lessen, and soon the pressure returned to something approaching normal.

_"__You did it, Kim! Lorwardia is safe. That's two planets now that you've rescued. And that's probably an intergalactic record of some kind, ah-booyah!__"_

Kim exhaled in tremendous relief. "Yeah, but not without some spankin' help from my BF/BF. Now if we can just figure out a way to get back to Earth, I think we'll all be very happy. It's been a long day."

_"__Right back at you, KP. Let's go home.__"_

* * *

Team Possible and friends were all exhausted, but relieved at the outstanding outcome of their mission. With the rescue now complete and an official truce in place, they began their return home. Traveling on the Imperial Shuttle lent to them by the Lorwardian High Council, Kim and Shego traded off piloting the huge craft back to Earth. Its cargo bay was just large enough to carry the Kepler III, now without its attached Lorwardian engine section and therefore incapable of the hyperlight speeds necessary to make the return to Earth.

Jim volunteered, "Hey, Kim! Need some help piloting the shuttle home?"

He was met with an icy glare from Kim that could have peeled the paint right off of the spacecraft.

"No, I'd like to make it back to Earth in one piece, please and thank you."

Not wanting to push the matter further, Jim hurriedly left the cockpit just as Ron entered. He smiled as he scooted into the seat beside Kim. "A mirf for your thoughts?

Kim cocked an eyebrow. "A mirf? What's that?"

Ron grinned back. "The Lorwardian equivalent of a penny."

Kim giggled. "Ron, you've literally been _in_ my mind so much lately, do you even need to ask?"

"Maybe not, but I'll never enter without your permission, KP."

Kim returned his smile and reached out to hold his hand. "Thanks, Ron. I appreciate it."

He squeezed her hand gently. "And if I haven't already said so, thanks for rescuing me. You found a way to travel across the stars to find me, even to the point of seeking me out on the astral plane. If that's not love, I don't know what is."

"No big … well, yeah, it was kinda big, but I know you would have done the same for me. And that's just one of the many reasons I love you, Ronald Dean Stoppable."

Kim and Ron spent the next few moments in silence, as they looked out of the large forward viewport while the multicolored stars sped swiftly by. With a wistful look, Kim reflected on all the events of the past week.

"Ron, I know we've had some amazing sitches in the past, but this one has them all beat, hands down. And the galaxy seems a lot smaller now than it did just a few days ago."

Ron grew concerned as her wistful look continued to deepen. "And that's bad, because ... ?" He left the question hanging.

Kim sighed. "I was just thinking, where do we go from here? In spite of all the danger we've just been through, this was quite a mountaintop experience. It's been a real interstellar War and Peace."

"Yeah, Kim. But I blew that book off back in Mr. Barkin's Russian Lit class. _Way _too long. And with all those complicated Russian names, I could never remember who was who! And then there was …"

Kim sighed. "Focus, Ron. I just meant that between my new comet powers and your fully developed Mystical Monkey Powers, this sitch was probably beyond anything we'll ever experience again. How do we top that?"

Ron remained deep in thought for a moment. Then he looked back at Kim with a warm smile.

"Kim, now you're sounding like me. First, like I've said before, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. Second, we have our wedding to finish and college to begin, as well as spending the rest of our lives together. Not to mention the upcoming final peace negotiations with the Lorwardians."

Kim relaxed and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right, Ron. I think I'm just coming down off of one spankin' non-stop adrenaline rush."

A sly look appeared on her face. "But you just reminded me that we're not _quite_ married yet. And I'm really, really looking forward to finishing our wedding ceremony and make our marriage official." She wagged her finger in mock warning. "But no Lorwardians allowed!"

Her mischievous smile deepened as she gazed at Ron with half-closed eyes. "Then there's our wedding _night _of course_,_ and our honeymoon." She purred, "Thanks Ron, for reminding me there's still _lots_ to look forward to."

With his own sense of anticipation, Ron began to blush slightly as he pulled self-consciously on his collar. "Uh, yeah, there's that too, ah-booyah." Another thought crossed his mind. "And then there's raising a family, KP. I have a feeling that's going to be an adventure all its own."

Kim's jaw dropped. "A family? I haven't even begun to _think_ about kids, Ron!"

Ron simply frowned as he crossed his arms.

Kim grimaced. "Ooh, busted. I forget that you have all my memories now, and I guess I _have_ been thinking about kids, but just a little. Sorry about that."

Ron's expression softened. "That's ok, KP. When the time is right, sure, but just not right away? We'll both need to finish college first anyway."

He began scratching his chin. "But come to think of it, I wonder if any of our powers are inheritable? A comet-powered Mystical Monkey Baby might be a handful."

Kim's eyes widened in concern at that possibility. "Whoa. Good point. But I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it, won't we?"

Ron continued, "But whatever we do in the future, or how much or little we'll face, we'll be doing it together. And I'm convinced now that the center will hold, permanently. Just the pleasure of sharing your company will be enough for me."

He massaged one of his bruised arms. "Besides, I've had enough excitement for one week."

Kim took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You said it, Ron."

Kim pulled her closest friend in the world into a long, gentle kiss. They broke their embrace only after Ron's stomach began to growl. "Ooh, sorry Kim. I really need to fill my tummy with some snackage."

Kim laughed. "That's okay, Ron, me too. Say, I think it's about time for Shego's piloting shift to begin. Wanna get something to eat?"

"Sure, KP! I can't wait to get back to Earth for some Bueno Nacho, but I hear that braised thorgoggle tastes just like chicken!"

Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket and rubbed his tiny stomach. "_Mmm! Chicken!_"

Ron laughed. "Sure thing, Rufus! Just let me get Shego real quick."

His spirit made a quick trip to Shego's cabin, but he returned just as quickly. A strange expression was on his face.

"Uh, KP, I think Shego may be a while."

"Why, Ron? What's the sitch?"

Ron blushed deeply as he stuttered, trying to convey what he'd just seen. Kim's eyes became as wide as saucers when she realized what Ron was implying. She gasped, "Ewww! You don't mean ... are Drakken and Shego …"

"Yup. And I'm totally gorched out. That's one image I don't think you'll _ever_ want me to share with you. And with Dr. D's vines, this gives a whole new meaning to the word _entwined_. Where's the brain soap when you really need it?"

Kim moaned, "Well, since Drakken was responsible for getting _us_ together, I suppose turnabout's fair play?"

Ron agreed. "Yeah, I guess it's about time they finally got together. And I really do have to say that I'm happy for them both. But like we've both said before, irony can be so … _ironic_."

* * *

_Well, this tale is finally nearing its end. But there are still a few more minor surprises in store, some sitches to tie up and a wedding that's just crying out for completion. Or maybe two? Epilogue coming up next time …_


	30. Epilogue: Wedding Redux

_Thanks once again for all who have read and reviewed, especially_ _readerjunkie, Katsumara, screaming phoenix, CajunBear73, savingkp, Eddy13, whitem, Grandmaster T, MrDrP, Liselle129, JCS1966, ricereaper and LTAOZFAN, who I hope will finally get caught up now that my story is complete! So without further ado …_

* * *

Kim, Ron and the rest of the victorious members of Team Possible had plenty of time for some well-earned rest and relaxation as they made their long trek back home to a grateful world. With the Naco of Doom defeated, what remained of the Lorwardian blockade had quickly collapsed. By the authority of the High Council, and with the two Great Blues in complete agreement, Warmonga had immediately recalled all blockading ships. The Lorwardian Commander who had so tenaciously pursued Kim had suffered a nervous breakdown in the meantime and had been relieved of command. He was now resting quietly in a Lorwardian hospital under heavy sedation, repeatedly muttering, "All hands to escape pods, abandon ship."

The team was relieved that their journey back to Earth was as uneventful as their first excursion to Lorwardia had been fraught with peril. Courtesy of Warmonga, they were all enjoying the luxurious accommodations of the Imperial shuttle, which were in sharp contrast to the cramped quarters of the Kepler III. And in typical form, Ron had unofficially christened the shuttle the _Unstoppable_.

After more than a week's journey back home across the stars, the Earth finally came into view, hanging like a brilliant blue jewel in space.

Ron marveled, "Boy, KP, that's just about the most beautiful sight I've ever seen, next to you of course."

Kim happily giggled, "Thanks, Ron. And as wonderful as everything finally turned out, it'll be so good to be home again."

An hour later, Shego deftly landed the huge space cruiser exactly where they had taken off nearly three weeks before, in the large field outside the Middleton Science Center. Upon disembarking from the ship, Team Possible was greeted by the Middleton High School Marching Band and Glee Club, performing a medley of Ron's _Naked Mole Rap_ and Dr. Drakken's _Lather, Rinse and Obey_.

Eagerly waiting for them were Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Possible, along with all of the Stoppables. Wade and Sensei were there as well, and this time both in the flesh. Hana ran up to Ron, joyfully screaming "_Bru-thur!_" as their parents proudly looked on. Kim likewise rushed to her parents, giving them both a huge hug.

James Possible beamed proudly at his daughter. "Welcome back, Kimmie-Cub! And congratulations on a job well done. You've saved two worlds this time, and have proven once again that nothing's impossible for a Possible. But I'm sure you'll find this mission hard to top, young lady!"

Kim wearily responded, "And I'm not even going to _try _to, Dad."

James frowned as he looked down at Jim and Tim, who looked sheepishly back up at him.

Jim ventured a weak greeting. "Uh, hi Dad! Sorry we kinda got stuck on the SL Coupe 3.0, but it really turned out for the best."

James frowned. "Yes, I suppose it did, but I hope you two realize that you're grounded." His frown deepened. "For _life!_ And if we ever discover any _alternate_ universes, you'll be grounded there too!"

Anne Possible also tried to frown, but only succeeded in covering up a chuckle. "Yes, you two are in deep trouble, but I have to say you both have a real knack for taking down alien battle stations." She couldn't help but smile at the two young mischief-makers. "And we're both proud of you."

James sighed, "Please don't encourage them, dear. Even if they did help save the planet in their own _unique_ way."

Sensei was beaming as well. "Congratulations, Yori-chan. You have lived up to the finest of Yamanouchi's heroic traditions, and played a critical role in this perilous mission's success, just as I had foreseen."

Yori merely smiled and bowed her head in humble acknowledgement. "Domo, Master Sensei. But it was our teamwork under Kim-chan's direction that granted us the victory in our task. It was simply my honor to assist in this noble effort. "

The wizened master grinned, the wrinkles around his half closed eyes hinting at the pleasure at what he was about to reveal. "You are far too modest Yori-chan. But when the time comes, it will be _my_ honor to turn over my duties to you ... as the new Headmistress of Yamanouchi."

Yori gasped in an uncharacteristic display of amazement. "Sensei!"

Sensei bowed back to her. "Your humility is only surpassed by your wisdom and skill, Yori-chan. What you have learned in these past few months must be passed on to those who can handle the challenge of this knowledge, that it may not be lost to those who might have need of it again in the future. This mission was indeed an important part of your destiny and a critical step in your journey, but the leadership of Yamanouchi shall be its ultimate fulfillment. You have proven yourself in the fiery crucible of a most unusual trial, and have earned a shining place in our history."

Yori's cheeks blushed brightly as she once again bowed deeply before him. "It shall be done as you wish, Master Sensei."

Wade was likewise excited to see his friends again. "Hey guys, congratulations! It's great to see you all back and still in one piece. And good news, we've finally solved the mystery of how the Lorwardians communicate via radio while traveling faster than light!"

Kim shrugged happily. "Well, it's a little late for that now, but that's good news for the future. And as usual, you rock, Wade. And thanks to both you and Sensei for all your help while we were on our spankin' adventure."

James then turned to Dr. Drakken. "So, Drew. I see you've really made up for lost time, after so many years of trying to take over the world. Now you've had _another_ world nearly handed to you on a silver platter!"

He reached out to shake the former villain's hand. "I'm really glad you've come around, Drew. And you did it in spades." He chuckled, "Or, _other _garden implements perhaps?"

Drakken took the little jest in stride. "Yes, James, it looks that way, doesn't it? And I see where Kimberly gets her sense of humor," he joked back. "I must say, it does feel great to all be back on the same side once again. And the fact that it's the winning side just makes it that much better. And I'm _especially_ happy that Shego has reformed, too."

A few of his vines pulled Shego a bit closer as she began to blush at the attention.

James paled a bit as he turned to face Shego. "Yes, indeed. So if you're Kim's cousin, that makes you … my niece?"

With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, Shego smiled back at him. "That's about the size of it, Dr. P. And Team Go are now your nephews, too."

He stroked his chin in thought. "Well, this should make our family reunions _quite_ interesting."

Shego turned to Ann. "By the way, thanks for letting me break the news to Kimmie about our being cousins. It turns out that we made a pretty good team on this rescue mission."

Anne was relieved. "I'm so glad to hear that, Shego. Welcome back to the good fight, and welcome to the family."

Shego pondered, "Ya know, Kim, if someone had told me a year ago that we were cousins, and that Dr. D and I would become part of Team Possible, even if for only a little while, I would have said they were crazy, then flame-broiled them with my plasma."

Kim laughed, "I can definitely relate, Shego. But in the future, if any one objects to our being cousins, I'll flame broil them _myself_."

They both laughed, content in knowing now exactly where they stood with each other. Through their own trial by fire, they had both come to terms with their close lineage, as well as their new friendship. And Shego had finally come to terms with her own past, present, and maybe even her future.

James spoke again. "Well, I'm sure that General Sims and Dr. Director will want a debriefing soon, but I'm sure that it can wait until tomorrow."

Ron nodded in agreement. "That sounds great to me, Mr. Dr. P."

James smiled at the man who was about to become his son-in-law. "Ronald, I think you can start calling me James now."

Ron smiled back at his soon-to-be father-in-law. "Coolio, James! Now, how about some Bueno Nacho, everybody? My treat!"

Rufus jumped up in glee. "_Mmmm! CHEEESE!_"

As they all walked toward their cars, Rufus perched himself in his customary place on Ron's shoulder. He smiled with contented satisfaction, pleased that his own extended mission had been a complete success as well.

* * *

_Two weeks later …_

The brief but intense war with the Lorwardians was now officially over, and negotiations for a peace treaty were rapidly concluded. A location for the signing of the treaty acceptable to both sides was needed, and Señor Senior Senior was more than happy to offer his island for the historic ceremony.

Within the largest hall on the remote island, a large table had been set up for the final ceremony. As a show of good faith, all automatic lasers had been removed, the Spinning Tops of Doom had been carefully locked away, and the man-eating piranha had been replaced by a school of colorful koi.

All the details had been worked out in advance, and only the formal signing of the peace accords remained. On one side of the table sat the representatives of Earth: Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Dr. Director, General Sims, and the Secretary General of the United Nations. On the other side of the table sat the Lorwardian delegation: the newly confirmed Empress Warmonga, the Chief of the Lorwardian High Council, and curiously, Dr. Drakken and Shego. A promise had been made to explain the reason for that in the course of the proceedings. In the gallery overlooking the signatories sat a few dignitaries and special guests, including Sensei and Yori. The Secretary General stood up and began his opening remarks.

"With the signing of this treaty, we call for a better galaxy: a galaxy founded upon faith, understanding, and mutual benefit. A galaxy dedicated to the dignity of both Terrans and Lorwardians, and the fulfillment of our deepest desires for freedom, tolerance, and justice. It is our earnest hope that the following Earth/Lorwardian Accords will open the doors to peace and prosperity for both our peoples."

He turned to the Lorwardian delegates. "Article I: All hostilities are to cease permanently, any remaining Lorwardian military forces are to leave Earth immediately, and all prisoners-of-war are to be released forthwith."

The Earth delegates smiled in quiet satisfaction, as no human prisoners besides Ron and Dr. Drakken had been taken, but plenty of Lorwardians had been captured during the invasion, much to their chagrin.

"Article II: Lorwardia will cease its military occupation of the conquered worlds of the Lorwardian Star Empire. The Magellanic Cloud aliens will act as peacekeepers as the withdrawal occurs, to be completed within one solar year."

The Lorwardians visibly chafed at this, but held their peace until all the articles had been read.

"Article III: Trade agreements are to be set up for an exchange of Earth-type foodstuffs for Lorwardian technology."

The Lorwardians smiled, almost drooling in anticipation. Once they had had a taste of Terran cuisine, there was no going back. They viewed this part of the treaty as critical, especially given their food situation, which had long been at the heart of their desire for galactic conquest. Representatives of Bueno Nacho were already in contact with the Lorwardians, and advanced plans were in motion to open a chain of the fast-food establishments on Lorwardia itself. Bueno Naco #1000 would be the first Earth-type restaurant to open in Lorwardia Prime, and its grand opening was scheduled for the next month.

Pop-Pop Porter had also opened negotiations for his wares, and even Martin Smarty was rumored to be maneuvering for his own chain of Lorwardian Smarty-Marts. He privately joked that his first sale would be a special on Emergency Off Switches.

Drakken and Shego in particular were about to make a killing as they cornered the Lorwardian baked goods market. Shego had fortuitously brought several cases of Hank's Gourmet Cupcakes along on the rescue mission. Although a bit on the stale side, upon eating the tasty baked goods Warmonga had exclaimed, "The food of the gods!" Dr. D was now the president of Hank's Intergalactic Cupcakes, and with Shego as his new Chief Operating Officer, their profits would soon become boundless. But those weren't the only new titles for the two former villains.

"Article IV: Drew Lipsky, _aka _Dr. Drakken, is hereby declared the official Great Blue of Lorwardia, with all due rights and responsibilities of that title. Shego is hereby declared the Great Green and new Princess Regent of Lorwardia, should Warmonga be unable to fulfill her duties as Empress, as detailed in the attached protocols."

General Sims whispered to Dr. Director. "Uh, is that wise? What's to prevent Miss Shego here from snuffing Warmonga and taking over their planet herself, especially with Drakken in control of their military?"

The Secretary General continued. "Protocol I to Article IV states that should the Empress either meet an untimely end or otherwise go missing, the High Council shall appoint a new regent at their discretion. Should Shego succeed the Empress for any reason, Hank's Intergalactic Cupcakes shall be dissolved, all assets to be turned over to the Lorwardians."

Dr. Director whispered back, "Checks and balances, General. Money or power. I suspect they'll stick with the money, and each other. And they both have a vested interest now in keeping Warmonga alive." She chuckled, "As if Warmonga really needs help along those lines."

The Secretary shot her a warning look, then moved on with his address. "Protocol II states that Kim Possible shall act as Earth's first Ambassador to Lorwardia, and that Shego shall act as the new Lorwardian Ambassador to Earth and official liaison between our respective planets. Both Shego and Dr. Drakken shall maintain dual citizenships on both Earth and Lorwardia, in the hope of maintaining mutual benefit and long lasting peace between our worlds."

Both Dr. Drakken and Shego smiled self-consciously, as she surreptitiously squeezed his hand beneath the table.

Ron whispered excitedly to Kim, "Whoa, badical! Way to go, KP! But Shego as an ambassador too? Don't you need actual diplomatic skills to do that? She can be awfully lippy, y'know."

Kim whispered back, "Yeah, but since the Lorwardians are so abrasive anyway, I think that's actually a point in her favor. I'm just surprised that Warmonga would approve of Shego as their ambassador to Earth in the first place, especially after being so completely pulverized by her in combat."

Ron however understood perfectly. "After being in the minds of several Lorwardians, I think I can explain, KP. Since they've been defeated so rarely, they really have a grudging respect for anyone who has. Especially when shown the kind of mercy they knew they didn't deserve. And you're the one to thank for that, Kim."

Having finished reading the Articles of Peace, the Secretary General sat down. Warmonga then stood to address the group.

"Lorwardia has lived by war and conquest for centuries and admits that these new ways will take some getting used to. But Warmonga is pleased at this outcome and looks forward to the increased economic ties that will strengthen both our worlds."

She turned to address Kim. "When Warmonga returned, she thought only of determining the identity of the Great Blue, and of revenge upon you and your world. Little did we know that through WarOwl's lust for power, a terror would be unleashed that threatened to destroy both our worlds. But through your physical prowess and leadership skill, you have managed to actually save us, along with yourselves."

Her voice softened as she continued. "You have also displayed something we have rarely experienced, let alone shown ourselves: the quality of mercy. And for that, you have the deep gratitude of all Lorwardia. We are therefore pleased to sign this treaty, the official Earth/Lorwardian Accords."

Warmonga signed first, followed by the Chief of the High Council, Dr. Drakken as the Great Blue, and Shego as the Princess Regent.

Shego smiled as she handed the pen to Kim, and whispered, "That was a smooth move when you warned that you could bring back Zorpox at any time, Princess. That definitely shortened the peace talks quite a bit."

Kim whispered back, "Yeah, and thanks for keeping that bluff a secret. No way would we ever risk _that_. And by the way, I guess I can start calling _you _Princess now, huh?"

Their smiles both widened, their former antagonism having melted away in the knowledge of their mutual victories not only militarily, but romantically as well. Kim and Ron had ultimately been reunited, while Shego and Drakken were finally and officially an item.

The treaty having been completed, it was now time for a magnificent celebration. And with that celebration came food, and plenty of it. The Lorwardians greedily began consuming all the Earth delicacies set out before them. Between bites, Warmonga walked over to Kim and Ron.

"Warmonga is also grateful to you for discovering that huge source of fresh water deep beneath the crust of Lorwardia, and using your own body as a drill to access it."

Kim smiled back at the new Empress. "No big, Warmonga. I had just remembered a geology course I took from Mr. Barkin back in high school, and that water tables usually lie deep below a planet's crust. Using my new powers, I sensed the presence of that water and figured that the new Great Blue could definitely use it for irrigating the dry surface of your planet."

She absentmindedly rubbed her neck and arms, still a bit sore from her superhuman effort. "I just hadn't counted on that particular water table being ten miles deep …"

Warmonga continued, "And with Dr. Drakken's mutagenic prowess combined with our new source of water, Lorwardia Prime has been turned from an arid desert into a lush, tropical paradise. And Ron Stoppable's idea of modifying the Tremerator to drill for water in other locations on our planet was a stroke of pure genius!"

Ron looked down bashfully. "Yeah, I guess a little of Zorpox's technical knowledge must have rubbed off on me."

Kim looked a bit concerned. "Just as long as that's the _only _thing that rubbed off. I don't look forward to a reincarnation of Zorpox anytime soon, if ever."

"I second that motion, KP. And since I officially removed myself from contention for the title of the Great Blue, Dr. D has assumed that role, and he'll be able to revitalize all of Lorwardia with his mutagen. Along with the new trade agreement, their food problem is practically solved! _Booyah!_"

Kim laughed, "So it looks like that prophecy of galactic conquest really had more to do with conquering the Lorwardian's galactic appetite, rather than any new military adventures."

But in the back of her mind, she still had concerns about any future military designs on the Lorwardian's part, especially with Drakken as the new Great Blue. "Warmonga, I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you plan on channeling the aggressive traits that have been an ingrained pattern of your race for literally centuries? For so long, all you've known is warfare and conquest. How will you cope without that outlet?"

Warmonga smiled with a knowing look as she scarfed down another one of Drakken's delicious cupcakes. "To start, we will still pursue big game hunting on the former worlds of our star empire, but only with their permission of course, and also with the understanding that no sentient beings will ever be hunted again."

A sly look spread across her face. "But we may have found an even better way. While Warmonga was searching for the Great Blue, she had the opportunity to observe what you call … _sports_. It is a curious concept, but the physical competitiveness and sheer violence at times should appeal to the Lorwardian psyche and give us an outlet for our natural predispositions."

Kim's mouth hung open in amazement. "You mean in all these centuries, you've _never_ discovered the art of athletic competition?"

"No, _play_ is a foreign concept to us. We have always been too busy either making war or preparing for it." She grew more and more excited as she warmed to her subject. "Particularly interesting to us are your games of football, soccer, and especially ice hockey."

A devilish grin broke out on her face. "However, roller derby is Warmonga's _personal_ favorite."

Kim shuddered at the thought of a Lorwardian women's roller derby team, but had to agree. "Well, I guess that's one way to channel your aggressions ..."

Warmonga smiled. "And perhaps the Great Red can be persuaded to return to our planet and teach our younger female warriors the art of … _cheerleading_?"

Kim's mind instantly reeled with the idea of teaching young Lorwardian girls the finer points of running a cheer squad. "Well, if that keeps you from invading neighboring star systems, it sounds spankin' to me."

Ron piped up, "Ooh, Kim! And I can teach them my Mad Dog routine, complete with mouth foam!"

Kim reacted in horror at the thought. "So not, Ron. Let's just take things one step at a time, okay?"

Warmonga reached for more snacks, but the table's contents had already been completely devoured by the ravenous guests.

Señor Senior Senior hurriedly clicked on the intercom. "Junior, please bring in more plates of Mr. Porter's flash-frozen Mini Corndogs, along with more of those fizzy orange beverages. Our guests have quite the appetite, yes?"

Junior sighed, "Yes, Father."

The sultry ex-high school cheerleader beside him purred, "Here, Junior. Let me help with those."

With a romantic sigh, Junior responded, "Thank you, my love. I be very pleased that you help me through these … these difficult negligeeations with those very bad aliens."

Bonnie winced at Junior's mispronunciation of 'negotiations,' but forced a smile nevertheless. She reminded herself how lucky she'd been to insinuate herself into the catering staff hired for the peace conference.

She charmingly sighed, "That's because you're just the sweetest, Junior." She continued with a sneer, "Besides, I just didn't want Little Miss Worldsaver and Monkey Boy to grab all the attention again, that's all."

_"And make a nice little profit as well_,_" _she thought. With a media blackout in effect on the tiny island for security reasons, the _International Inquisitor_ newsmagazine had promised her a hefty sum for any details regarding the peace negotiations. She lovingly patted the pocket that contained their email address.

Back in the conference hall, the mood remained festive. Ron cheerfully observed, "Well, Kim, I guess all's well that ends well."

Kim gazed lovingly at her fiancé. "That's right, Ron. And I can't wait to put our wedding back on track as soon as possible, too."

"That's a big _booyah_, KP! And no fears of another Lorwardian abduction this time either. And speaking of engagements …"

He motioned toward Shego and Drakken, who were lost in each other's eyes off to one side of the hall. They had become nearly inseparable since their return. Kim and Ron walked over to the two lovebirds.

Ron noticed that Shego no longer seemed to mind the attentions of Drakken tendrils, whether or not they still had a mind of their own. He snickered, "Well, I guess you could call this a _budding_ relationship?"

Drakken rolled his eyes in response as Shego groaned, but they both quickly began smiling again.

Shego peered deep into Drakken's eyes with a thoughtful look. She really didn't want to let him off of the hook, but she had to know how serious his proposal had been, especially as she had all but asked him first herself.

"Ya know, Drew, that proposal of yours was kind of made under duress, so I won't hold you to it, just in case you've changed your mind."

She gave him a sly look as she slowly drew a finger down his face and under his chin, carefully adjusting one of his flower petals beneath his new tuxedo. "But I think that tux you're wearing would be just perfect for a wedding, perhaps."

Shego gave him her best imitation of Kim's Puppy-dog Pout. "That is, if you're still serious?"

Drakken smiled back warmly, now confident in expressing his own feelings without fear of a plasma attack in response. "Yes, Shego, as long as you still are too. And I really wouldn't have it any other way, my dear." He chuckled, "Especially since that comes from your heart now, and not because of some freaky moodulator technology."

"Yup, Drew. No more need for _any_ artificial electronic encouragement," she agreed wholeheartedly.

Kim and Ron both shivered as they remembered their own experience with that weird invention.

Drakken then pondered something that had been bothering him ever since returning from Lorwardia. "There's just one thing I still don't understand. When Warmonga first captured me and Ron, she was bound and determined to find out which of us was the Great Blue, and also warned that the loser of the contest would die. And at the time, she really didn't seem to care who."

Ron gulped convulsively at the memory.

Drakken turned to address Kim and Shego. "But at almost the same moment that you all arrived, Warmonga became totally enamored of me and did everything she could to protect me. It was like she had been, well, _moodulated _somehow."

Ron agreed. "Yeah, I gotta admit that turnabout was freaky, if not just totally wrongsick. But she was also mad as hell at Zorpox for stomping on Lorwardian tradition, so maybe that was the reason?"

Drakken scratched his head as he considered that possibility. "Hmm. Certainly part of it perhaps, but I suppose we'll never know for sure …"

Shego looked a bit uncomfortable at discussing her former competition for Drakken's affections. She warned, "Yeah, and let's keep it that way. Okay, Dr. D?"

Drakken backed off immediately. "No problem at all, Shego. Just curious, that's all."

Shego pulled him close, gave him a wolfish grin and purred, "Just remember what curiosity did to the cat."

He paled at the thought and pulled at his collar, which had suddenly begun to feel a little tight. "Uh, yes, Shego. I _do_ remember the end of that_ particular_ story …"

Off to the other side of the room, Sensei looked on wearing the smile of another fabled cat. He caught the eye of Rufus and bowed his head slightly, telepathically sending him his appreciation.

_"__Thank you, my little friend, for alerting me to the presence of that bottle of Drakken-san's mind-control shampoo among WarOwl's treasures. I simply placed a compulsion within Warmonga's mind to take it along with her after receiving her orders from Zorpox to locate you and Drakken-san, and to shower first before proceeding on her hunt. Then all that was needed was a simple mental suggestion to keep you and Drakken-san safe from Zorpox. But perhaps I inadvertently insinuated just a bit more than that?"_

Rufus merely snickered quietly to himself in response.

* * *

_And just one week after that …_

General Sims was outwardly calm, but on the inside he was a nervous wreck. His command console showed mostly green indicator lights, but there were still two that blinked red. There wasn't much time left, Zero Hour being only ten minutes away. Tiny beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and he removed his hat to mop away the perspiration as he anxiously watched the control panel. The general began smiling as one light turned green, followed shortly by the other.

The red phone on his desk suddenly rang. He picked it up and answered, "Yes, Mr. President. Everything is at a full state of readiness. We are now at Defcon 2."

He replaced the receiver on its cradle. "Okay, folks. It's all up to you now …"

In strategic locations around Middleton, Patriot missile defenses were on full alert. Overhead, a full squadron of F-22 Raptors were flying combat air patrol, with orders to shoot down anything that flew within a five-mile radius of Ground Zero: the Middleton Community Church.

The big day had finally arrived. Again.

All was once again set for the nuptials of Kimberly Ann Possible and Ronald Dean Stoppable. The church had quickly been repaired by local workers who still owed Kim and Ron and favor. Everything was much the same as before, but there were now some subtle differences. Yori was present, but she now sat next to the Stoppables in the front row, having graciously accepted the title of Hana's godmother. Next to her sat a contrite Hirotaka, who had contacted her immediately upon her return.

"I am most honored by your invitation to this most auspicious wedding, Yori-chan. I know I have much to make up for, and I humbly ask that you offer me a second chance to do what I should have honorably done from the very beginning."

Yori was tremendously excited at giving him just that opportunity, but outwardly she remained as calm as the true Ninja that she was. With barely a wisp of a smile, she replied, "Hai. I shall indeed take under consideration, but let us take one step at a time. There is no need for haste now, and we have the luxury of time at the present. At least until Sensei returns from his extended excursion on the astral plane, as he seeks … an old friend."

Inwardly she was thinking of anything _but_ being patient, but she would enjoy playing coy until she knew that Hirotaka was truly serious this time around. Her training would keep her heart and mind under control until then. In the meantime, her thoughts wandered as she allowed herself to consider another pilgrimage, but this time to the Jishu Shrine …

Another subtle difference was the new status of another romantically-linked pair. Instead of Dr. Drakken and Shego, the newlywed couple of Mr. and Mrs. Drew and Sheila Lipsky were in attendance. They also sat in the front row next to the rest of the Possible clan. Directly behind them sat Team Go, attired now in their full superhero regalia.

Kim and Ron had been the happy witnesses for Drew and Sheila's civil ceremony of just the day before. Kim had offered to make it a double wedding, but they decided that with their incredible Lorwardian adventure literally the talk of the entire planet, they had had enough of publicity since returning to Earth, and opted instead for a simple, quiet ceremony at the Middleton City Hall.

Kim and Ron's wedding began right on time. Thanks to Wade's technical genius, it was now being broadcast across the entire planet. Even areas without television coverage were tuned in by either AM/FM radio or by shortwave link, making this the single largest broadcast in world history. Bonnie would have felt upstaged but for the fat check she had just received from the _International Inquisitor_. All proceeded exactly as before, until a particular statement was again uttered.

The pastor once again spoke the traditional injunction. "If anyone objects to this couple being bound together in marriage, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace."

The congregation held their breath in anticipation, everyone knowing full well what had transpired here the last time those fateful words had been spoken. All at once, the sanctuary was lit up by flashes of energy as every superhero within the congregation activated their respective powers.

Kim instantly energized all of her comet powers in a dazzling display of coruscating color. Likewise, Ron charged up his Mystical Monkey Power in a brilliant flash of pure blue energy. Next to Kim, Shego immediately fired up her viridescent plasma. Next to Ron, Yori swiftly unsheathed the gleaming Lotus Blade, instantly ready to strike down anyone who dared posed a threat, let alone speak even a single word of discord against her friends. Team Go simultaneously leapt up, prepared with a hair-trigger response should Hego give the command, "Go Team Go!" The cocking of a score of automatic weapons by the twelve crack GJ agents in attendance completed the fearsome tableau. Absolutely nothing would be allowed to prevent this marriage ceremony from reaching its ultimate joyful conclusion.

Rabbi Katz was so flustered by the sudden display that he could barely continue.

He quickly stuttered, "Ron, do you take Kim?"

Ron enthusiastically responded, "I do."

"Kim, do you take Ron?"

Kim cheerfully replied, "I do."

Rabbi Katz then bellowed, "Then you're both married! Kiss her!"

Since the beginning of time there have been three kisses that were rated the most intense, the most passionate. This one completely outshone them all.

As they kissed, a cheer went up across the planet the likes of which have never been heard before, and probably never will be again. Even Warmonga, stealthily monitoring Earth communications in her space cruiser from a _very_ safe distance, smiled with pleasure at the successful conclusion of the wedding she had so fiercely disrupted only the month before.

"These humans are much braver and resilient than we had first given them credit for, especially the ones named Kim and Ron. Warmonga anticipates a great future for them both, and heaven help any who dare oppose them …"

* * *

The wedding reception was held at Chez Couteaux, in spite of Ron's wish to have it at home and catered by Bueno Nacho. MC Honey and her band began the festivities with a special song written especially for the new couple, "Hero of My Heart," which would top the charts for months to come. And led by Bonnie, the Middelton High cheer squad finally got to perform their special pyramid routine.

"_Two! Four! Six! Eight! Kim and Ron are really great!_"

Then came the first dance, traditionally shared by the bride and her father. As Kim and James took the floor, the new bride seemed to glow, and not just from the aftereffect of her comet powers.

"Thanks, Dad, for raising me so well. I owe so much to you and Mom, I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay all the love and confidence you've shown me over the years. But just remember one thing: I'll always be your Kimmie-Cub."

Her father sighed deeply. "Thanks, Kimmie. You've paid us both back many times over by making us the proudest parents on this, or any other planet, and that goes for Ronald as well. I know now that I'll never have to send him on a one-way trip into a black hole, as long as he behaves himself that is. And even if I did, you two would probably find a way to shut it down anyway …"

Meanwhile, the inevitable meeting feared by many was finally taking place.

"So, you're Kim's cousin?" Larry began. "That makes us cousins, too!"

Shego cocked an eyebrow. "And just who are you?"

Larry replied with a smile, "I'm Kim's cousin, Larry." With hooded eyes, he shot her a conspiratorial look. "But my closest friends call me _Imperial Senator Burnaliss _…"

Shego merely rolled her eyes in response as he continued. "And I've observed that your regular costume bears a striking resemblance to Archer Woman in CD Comics, Issue #11."

"Oh, really?" Shego fired up one fist in warning.

"Hey, that's real cool! Your power is amazingly similar to Amazon Girl's, first seen in Issue #84 of Heroine Comics."

Shego could tell that Larry remained dangerously clueless as to exactly who he was dealing with, and fired up her other fist as a last warning.

"So tell me, Shego," he continued with a snort. "Are your powers primarily percussive, or biomechanical?"

Shego smiled back at him with a wicked gleam. "Here, let me show you …"

And with a massive whoosh, she let Larry experience her powers firsthand.

With his face now blackened and the remains of his singed eyebrows floating gently to the floor, he unsteadily resumed his seat. "Ah. Biomechanical."

Ron's Cousin Shawn had witnessed the altercation, and immediately thought better of the wicked pranks he had planned for later. No longer under the influence of an Attitudinator, he was now being controlled by a more primal feeling, that of fear. With Shego having just torched Cousin Larry and super-powered cousins Kim and Ron in close proximity, not to mention Team Go, he sadly realized that his plans for mischief would not be getting very far today. He sat sulking as he halfheartedly ate his ice cream dessert.

The cake cutting was memorable for all in attendance. Using his Mystical Monkey Power, Ron gently floated a piece of the delicious cake that he had baked and frosted himself into Kim's waiting mouth. They had both wisely agreed that there would be no smashing of cake into the other's face, fearful of what that might escalate into given their respective powers, with so many innocent bystanders in attendance.

Next came the throwing of the bouquet. The cheer squad lined up, each girl prepared for the violent stampede as each vied for the priceless prize of Kim's floral arrangement. Bonnie gritted her teeth and growled, "Those flowers are _mine_."

Monique stood beside her and smirked, "Say _what_? You have something _else_ coming, girl!"

With a flourish, Kim tossed the bouquet over her shoulder. In a flash, Monique dashed in front of Bonnie, blocking her effortlessly. With a leap as graceful as a gazelle but as aggressive as a puma, Monique easily plucked the prize out of the air.

Bonnie was simultaneously both astounded and peeved. "How in the heck did you do that?"

Monique smugly replied, "Try four years of varsity basketball, girl!"

Soon after, Kim and Ron left the reception beneath a hail of Spanish rice courtesy of Bueno Nacho. And instead of tin cans, Jim and Tim had tied small pieces of scrap metal recovered from the Lorwardian's defeated warcraft to the bumper of Kim's SL Coupe 3.0. But Kim was positive that she recognized at least one fragment originating from one of Mr. Barkin's destroyed cars, thanks to the Tweebs experiments.

As they drove the short distance to Middleton's posh Hylton Sheridan Hotel, where they would spend their first night as husband and wife, they both sighed deeply with relief that everything had gone according to plan.

"Well, KP, we've finally done it. Married at last, and with no alien abductions! I also made absolutely sure that Rabbi Katz remembered to sign our wedding license, too. We're _officially_ official."

Kim beamed brightly at her new husband. "Thanks, Ron. So, I guess you can start calling me KS instead of KP now?"

He cocked an eyebrow in thought as he smiled back at his beautiful bride. "Um, technically that's true, but you'll always be KP to me, Kim."

As they checked into the honeymoon suite, a question that Kim had been wondering about crossed her mind. She coyly asked, "Ron, I never asked you why you gave up the title of Great Blue so easily. While you were Zorpox you _were_ officially the Great Blue, and you could have kept the title if you had wanted, even after we sent Zorpox back where he came from. So spill, Monkey Boy."

Ron could tell that there was a deeper reason behind the question she had just posed. "Kim, as tempting as that was, it would have meant living the rest of my life on Lorwardia, and that would have meant either you being tied down there, or else long stretches of time being separated from you as you attended college. That would have been too big a sacrifice to ask of you. Besides, I had enough of, uh, _separation_ during our recent adventure."

He shuddered at the memory. Having his body and spirit totally split apart like that would no doubt give him nightmares for years to come. "Anyway, Drakken's a much better fit for them now. He'll be able to eventually terraform their entire planet. And since he has Shego at his side both as his wife and COO of Hank's Intergalactic Cupcakes, I think Warmonga will be much happier with them in the long run than with me."

Ron suddenly remembered something else. "And I'm also real glad Warmonga didn't get wind of my cooking skills, or else she might have tried to kidnap me again, and make me the Great Blue _Cook_."

He breathed a thankful sigh. "So when all is said and done, KP, I really don't mind at all, since I get you."

Kim teased, "Oh, so I'm the consolation prize, now?"

"Kim, Kim, Kim," Ron corrected. "You're the bon-diggety Grand Prize, and I'm likewise yours. And there's nothing else I want more than being with you. And no one had better _ever_ try to get between us again."

"Good answer, Mr. Stoppable." She pulled him into a deep kiss, which they enjoyed for several long moments. Kim relaxed from the embrace and stared deep into Ron's dark brown eyes. "But I can't help but wonder, who really _was_ the Great Blue? You, Drakken, or Zorpox?"

Ron pondered that question for a moment. "Well, I guess it depends on your point of view. Conquest-wise, Zorpox wins hands down. But that would have meant the enslavement of the entire galaxy. Unless the Lorwardians eventually came across an even bigger enemy."

Kim shuddered. "I don't even want to _think_ about that possibility. But what if Zorpox had never appeared on the scene, and Warmonga had forced you and Drakken into a real life-or-death battle? My money would have been on you, no question."

Ron smiled. "Thanks, KP. But I would have figured out a way to save both our skins, probably by faking my death like Commander Kane did on that _Space Passage_ episode."

Kim smirked, "Yeah, but what if Warmonga had accidentally seen that episode while she was monitoring Earth's communications?"

Ron blanched. "Ooh, good point Kim. I'm just glad it never came to that. She would have fried me up like a Naco if I had."

Kim wrapped her arms around Ron once again. "Well, thankfully that's a moot point now, and it's a happy ending for everyone all around. And you'll always be my Great Blue, Monkey Boy. And speaking of blue …"

Kim slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Ron to wonder what she was up to. She returned in a few minutes, now clothed in a beautiful dark blue negligee, which she was positive she would not be wearing very much longer.

Kim purred, "So, honey, are you going to be sleeping with a nightlight anymore now that we're married?"

Ron grinned slyly back. "Nah, I think I can make my own now. _Booyah_."

A soft blue light shone through the curtains of the newlywed's honeymoon suite throughout the rest of the night and into the early hours of the morning, while Rufus peacefully slept away in the adjoining room, dreaming of endless Naco delights.

**The End**

* * *

_A/N: As this adventure has finally drawn to a close, I'd first like to thank all of you out there who have stuck with this story over the past year, and especially those who have taken the time to review and critique. You've all kept me on my toes, believe me. And As Yori would say, I am deeply humbled by the honor of your gracious replies (and even the not so gracious ones!). However, as those late-night infomercials say, "But wait! There's more!" There will be at least one bonus chapter showing some alternate plots and endings at different points in the story._

_From the start, I had several goals in mind. First, I wanted to write an epic KP sci-fi drama (sorry Wade!) that picked up where the series left off, while developing Kim and Ron's relationship as well as that of Shego and Dr. Drakken. Although it may surprise some of you when I say that I'm not really that big a fan of the Shego/Drakken pairing, it was implied (rather heavy-handedly) in the final episode. So I took that idea and ran with it, with all of the expected bumps along the way that we would expect from our favorite erstwhile villains. _

_As one of the more complicated characters within the KP universe, I also wanted to write a psychological drama regarding Shego's tortuous road back from the dark side, as she struggled not only with the implications of having the mantle of hero thrust upon her once again, but with her feelings for Drakken and her family as an additional complication. And in this story at least, that included Kim. I had planned from the start to have Kim and Shego closely related primarily so that their similar DNA could be given as the reason for becoming a target of their comet-granted powers. As it turned out, I was able to put that to good use for some significant plot tension throughout as well._

_And as one of my favorite characters in the franchise, I wanted to give Yori a central role in this story, both in Ron's training as well as the rescue mission itself. Too often in fanfiction she is cast as a house-wrecking ninja psychobabe. She deserves much better, as she is truly a young woman of great honor and capability in the series. But even honor can be taken too far when emotion rules over intellect, as her temptation to commit ritual suicide over her apparent failure to save Ron showed. Originally I had considered allowing her to actually commit the deed, only to be saved by the healing powers of her borrowed battlesuit. I decided against that as being both too dark and graphic within the context of the story as a whole._

_Bringing back Zorpox as the primary villain wasn't my original idea, but once I started to consider that, it really began to make sense. With the entire Great Blue mythos that the Lorwardians had developed, it really fit in with his megalomania, and especially being disconnected from Ron's soul. So poor WarOwl certainly got more than he bargained for._

_I had also originally planned on killing off Warmonga, but giving her a chance at redemption for starting the whole ball rolling made more sense to me, so WarOwl became the fall guy. Also, I got a real kick out of coming up with all those Lorwardian names, and I'm glad so many of you enjoyed them. _

_Along those lines, no one caught on that since 'Lorwardia' is a close respelling of 'Warlord,' and likewise 'Warmonga' is very close to 'Warmonger', I came up with 'Warhafter' as an extrapolation of 'Warfather,' another name for Wotan, the ruler of the gods from Wagner's Ring Cycle. And this story certainly had its Wagnerian aspects. Another allusion I made that I'm not sure if anyone got was having Zorpox wear Warhafter's oversized cloak, similar to Mickey Mouse wearing the sorcerer's cloak in the Disney cartoon, The Sorcerer's Apprentice. _

_Another goal was to tie up many of the loose ends that remained at the end of the series, particularly the origin of Dr. Drakken. I was also frequently amazed at Rufus being consistently able to act in almost human-like fashion throughout the series. I wanted to provide a humorous and plausible explanation for his extraordinary abilities as an invaluable part of Team Possible, and tie it closely to the origin of the both Team Go's and Kim's comet. I found out much later that another writer had the same suspicion when he penned a crossover episode with Disney's Lilo and Stich with Rufus under suspicion as genetically enhanced. And then of course there was Rufus 3000 and all of his brothers … _

_Another strong thread throughout was one of teamwork. No one character was able to everything, although Kim came the closest with her cornucopia of comet powers. But even the girl who can do anything faced a terrible choice, that of destroying the body of the man she loved more than life itself, in order that an incredible evil might not literally take over the galaxy. Each of the characters had flaws which could have totally derailed either relationships or the mission itself, but working together under Kim's direction, they triumphed. _

_I also freely used a great number of minor and sometimes obscure characters from the KP franchise in order to give the story both a sense of continuity with the original series as well as a distinctively KP flavor, with a few deviations on my part of course! I can't tell you how many KP episodes I reviewed on YouTube to get all my details just right. Even so, I still made a few gaffes, but not for a lack of trying. I also wanted to make the story scientifically plausible as well as give it the right flavor, which meant research about everything from quantum mechanics and wave propagation, to psychology and Zen Buddhism. It's simply amazing what you can find on the Internet._

_It's not a perfect story, but I really poured my heart and soul into this one, and I hope that its strong points outweigh its flaws. I hope you enjoyed it. And yes, I've left the door open for one or more sequels, so this may so not be the end. So until next time, keep the faith!_

_MA_


	31. Bonus Chapter: Rendezvous

_Here at last is the final installment of Across The Stars, beginning with what could be called an alternate scene of sorts. One of my story's minor apparent missteps was Shego's gift to Kim, back in Ch. 16. Her new outfit's color scheme did not initially meet with, shall we say, overwhelming approval. The suit was quickly sacrificed for the good of the mission (and hopefully, the story) and I humorously tried to explain my original intention to MrDrP. However, another reviewer thought my response was entertaining enough to be shared with a wider audience, perhaps in some author's notes at the end. So I offer the following for your reading pleasure and general edification._

_Although I still defend the logic of my original idea, I probably could have presented it better. This is what I meant to convey:_

_

* * *

_

Now smiling, Shego held the box out to Kim. She quietly said, "Here's something I hope you'll like."

Kim opened the box. Inside was a bodysuit of familiar design and pattern. Identical in form with Shego's outfit, it had one major difference: the colors were now green, red, blue and purple. Each color was outlined with a thin black line, but the design was still in Shego's classic harlequin pattern.

Kim gasped in amazement as she removed the suit from the box. She drank in the exquisite beauty of her new outfit. Kim was almost in tears as she observed the incredible style and perfect cut of the fabric. The muted, pastel colors of Team Go were a delight to her eye, their gentle hues presenting a living testament to the perfect blending of her newly acquired abilities. She knew now that there was nothing that would prevent them from working together to rescue Ron and Drakken. Absolute victory was now assured."

* * *

_Unfortunately, to some it came across as:_

_

* * *

_

Kim gasped in horror as she removed the suit from the box. Shego's failed attempt at reconciliation was heightened by the horribly garish colors of the harlequin-like outfit, looking more like a Salvador Dali nightmare than anything even remotely aesthetic. But try as she might, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the fashion disaster, not unlike how some people react to a terrific car crash. Kim rapidly approached her hurl factor as she continued to grimace at the horrible affront to her fashion sensibility. It was a perfect visual description of the incredible dysfunction of Team Go. She realized now that there was no way that she could continue under these circumstances, even though it would mean the demise of both Ron and Drakken, as well as the Earth's doom. At least she would be able to look Coco Banana squarely in the eye as she faced the rest of eternity without Ron. The End."

* * *

_In any case, Kim's attire was quickly used to repair some serious battle damage to the Kepler III , as you may remember. But ... could it reappear in a future sequel, rising from the grave like some kind of ghastly undead zombie from one of Ron's computer games? Oh, the horror … the horror ..._

_

* * *

_

_And now, as they say, from the ridiculous to the sublime. Here is one final bonus chapter to close this tome, answering a remaining question, and showing that happy endings can also come with a heavy price ..._

**Rendezvous**

Sensei floated weightlessly on the astral plane in an unaccustomed state of anxiety and spiritual exhaustion. He had already spent nearly a week here in this beautiful void between the great realities. He breathed a deep sigh, sadly realizing he would soon need to return to his corporeal body. Even though his search here had once again been fruitless, still he persevered. His search for Yoshiko was far too important not to push himself to the very limit of his spiritual and physical endurance. Besides, a promise had been made to him, and he trusted that that promise would still be kept.

"Perhaps if I stay just an hour longer ..."

He frowned, recalling that he had spoken those very words nearly fifty years before, and in the process had nearly become lost here himself. He remembered his desperation at the time as he frantically searched in vain for the love of his life, who had become irretrievably lost here. Yoshiko was the only woman to have ever become a Mystical Monkey Master, and she had been personally trained by him. Sensei had continued to feel a deep sense of regret for letting her travel on the astral plane by herself without more extensive tutelage. He felt personally responsible, and accepted full blame for her loss. Even though Fujimi, the headmaster of Yamanouchi at the time, had absolved him of any responsibility whatsoever, he still could not forgive himself. He was convinced that it had been his fault, and his fault alone.

He breathed her name. "Yoshiko … I am so sorry ..."

His voice returned to him, empty. The path before him glittered serenely in the mystic light, its beauty reminding him of Yoshiko's own incomparable loveliness. Still, the path's appearance belied its ever present dangers, as it had somehow trapped his one true love here. With sad resignation, he slowly turned back down the path toward the physical plane, and home.

He began to fondly reminisce over the joy he had felt as he began training his beautiful pupil, so very long ago. Just as he had done much more recently with Stoppable-sama, he first trained her in the martial art of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, and later in both the mystical arts as well as the secrets of traveling the astral plane. He held the bittersweet memory in his mind of the first time that they joined their minds, reveling in the amazing oneness of that experience. Their bond naturally deepened as the weeks and months went by. He began to fall deeply in love with his precious Yoshiko, and soon broached the subject of marriage. Once he had gathered up enough courage to actually ask her, she joyfully accepted his proposal. Their courtship lasted throughout the remainder of her training, which was hastened by their anxiousness to be wed. He now regretted that haste, sadly fearing that the accelerated training had contributed to her loss.

Once she had disappeared on the astral plane, he began a desperate attempt to find her. After several unsuccessful attempts in locating her, his desperation soon tuned to despair, then to resignation in face of the inevitable. On his last try, he barely made it back in time himself before his body expired, having had no sustenance for over three days. Through training over the years, he had managed to extend that period of time to seven days, but he was at present critically close to that limit. He was forced to start back, his mystical cord retracting automatically as he grew closer to the physical plane. But before long, a strange apparition materialized before him, one he had not seen for many years.

A deep, otherworldly voice spoke. "Sensei ..."

A wave of relief washed over his soul. The master slowed his progress, then stopped completely. The comet aliens had finally returned, just as they had promised. The three beings glowed in a multicolored display of energy. Incorporeal, the three orbs slowly circled each other as they floated before Sensei.

The first alien spoke. "Our apologies, Sensei. We were delayed by a critical mission of grave import. However, we have not forgotten our promise to you."

The second alien added, "We are deeply grateful for your assistance during this crisis. If this had not been resolved, not only galactic peace would have been threatened, but interdimensional peace as well. With your help, Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable have have succeeded in defeating the Lorwardians, and peace has once again been restored to your galaxy. We have therefore returned to fulfill our agreement."

The third alien continued. "Sensei, as we are not of your dimension, we do not share the same type of physical form as yourself. We do have similar emotions, however, and therefore considerable empathy for your predicament. Behold ..."

Sensei's eyes widened as a small light appeared in the distance, growing ever larger at it approached. Even before the light had coalesced, he could sense the presence of his one true love. Deep feelings, long forgotten, buoyed up within him.

"Yoshiko ..."

The light grew closer, finally assimilating into the one lithe form that Sensei had nearly given up hope of ever seeing again.

"Yes, Sensei. It is I. It is your Yoshiko." Her lilting voice was just as youthful and full of life as it had been the day she left. Her appearance was likewise unblemished by time, and every bit as beautiful as Sensei had remembered.

Sensei was astounded. She floated before him, clothed in a dark blue keikogi, the very same attire as she had worn the last time he had seen her. The last time before she had disappeared, seemingly forever.

He could barely believe what his senses were telling him. "Yoshiko, is it really you, after so very long?"

"Yes, my love, it is truly me. I have held your memory close to my heart for these many years, always and ever hoping to see you one last time."

Sensei cocked an eyebrow. "One last time? I do not understand."

Yoshiko wistfully bowed her head. "My most earnest wish was to see you one more time before passing into the eternal realm. Now, that has been fulfilled. My soul overflows with the joy of seeing you once again, but now we must part."

Sensei was thunderstruck. "No … it cannot be! But why?"

Yoshiko continued. "Due to my inexperience, my spirit became completely diffuse while here on the astral plane. Spread out over such a wide area, I was unable to communicate with you as you searched for me, although I could sense your presence. For that same reason, I was also unable to pass through through the portal and into the eternal realm when my only chance to do so occurred, nearly fifty years ago."

She smiled gratefully at the three comet aliens. "Mere words cannot convey my deep thanks to these beings, who have reconstituted my spirit and are now able to reopen that portal, allowing me to enter into my eternal rest."

In spite of his tremendous self-control, Sensei was nearly overwhelmed with emotion. The incredible happiness he felt in seeing Yoshiko again bordered on the miraculous, but the sudden realization that their reunion would only be short-lived brought soul-crushing sorrow.

Sensei angrily turned toward the aliens. "But what of our agreement? Was I not to be reunited with Yoshiko?"

The first alien replied, "Yes, and that has now been fulfilled, though perhaps not in exactly the way that either you or we had intended. Unfortunately, the time of your reunion must be brief. We have since discovered that even we cannot hold your Yoshiko's spirit together for long, while simultaneously summoning the portal and keeping it open. This is regretfully beyond even our considerable powers."

The grief Sensei now felt filled him with great anguish, bordering on despair. Having just been reunited with his great love after so long, he could not bear to lose her once again. He frantically tried to think of another answer to the apparently insoluble problem. "But, cannot she return with me to the physical realm?"

His voice tinged with regret, the second alien responded, "Your own powers, though great, would not be able to keep her spirit unified as you made the transition back to your physical reality. And regrettably, we are unable to cross into your dimension without resulting in our own destruction."

Yoshiko smiled as she sadly shook her head. "And even if I could, what would I return _to_, my love? My body has been dead and buried these past fifty years. I think you would find it difficult carrying on a relationship with an undead spirit, even if that were possible."

"But perhaps we could find another form for you to inhabit?" Sensei realized the folly of his question as soon as he had voiced it. He knew that he was grasping at straws as he desperately cast about for a solution, but he wasn't quite willing to give up just yet. "A clone might be the answer. Technology exists even now for such a process. The process itself may not be quite perfected, but there is still a chance ..."

Yoshiko hesitated, but again shook her head. "No, it cannot be. I cannot return, and even if that were possible, I could not do so without upsetting the delicate balance of what must be, both here and in the physical realm. We both know that more than anyone, my dear friend. This is the way of existence, the graceful symmetry between Yin and Yang. We must not tamper with it without risking dire consequences."

Sensei knew this intuitively, as he himself had taught her these very ways so long ago. Nevertheless, he was close to tears, his formidable self-control withering under the assault between his reawakened feelings of hope and the grim reality he now faced. He sighed deeply as he bowed his head, now prepared to accept the inevitable.

"Yes, you are correct, my Yoshiko. I now regret having taught you these truths all too well, but that does not alter their veracity. Change is a necessary part of life, and often we cannot regain what has been lost, as much as we may desire it."

A small smile tugged at his lips. "We can, however, remember those times with fondness."

"Yes, Sensei. And nothing can ever take those times away from us, neither then nor now. I shall always remember you, my love, and with deep fondness."

"As shall I, my precious Yoshiko."

Several seconds passed without either speaking a word. Neither wished to break the spell of these last few moments together, as each tried to etch this precious memory forever within their minds.

The first alien spoke again. "It is time. We are deeply grateful to have been able to arrange both this last meeting and farewell, but time grows short."

Now resigned to their separate fates, Sensei responded, "You as well have my eternal thanks for retrieving my Yoshiko, and enabling her to complete her long delayed spiritual journey."

Yoshiko smiled. "I knew that one day you would return to rescue me, Sensei. I can easily sense that your love has not abated for me in the slightest, even though much time has passed. I only regret that our present reunion has been so cruelly short, and that its resolution will spell our further separation. But I shall never let this moment fade from my memory. I shall indeed remember you, forever ..."

A small light in the distance began to form.

The third alien instructed, "Once the portal appears, all you need do is allow yourself to pass through it to the other side. The eternal realm is a place of great peace and beauty, far above any mortal comprehension. It is our great honor to assist in your passage."

The portal grew in size until it was just large enough for Yoshiko to pass through. The edges of the doorway to the great beyond flickered brightly, lighting the surrounding area with its otherworldly glow. Yoshiko began to be slowly drawn into it. Suddenly, Sensei reached out and touched her shoulder, briefly holding her back.

"Wait, Yoshiko."

He turned to the aliens. "Is it possible for more than one spirit to pass through the portal at once?"

The three aliens began to spin faster in mild consternation as they considered this unusual request. The first alien replied, "This portal is only set for one being to pass. However, with additional effort on our part, it may just be possible."

Yoshiko tuned back to Sensei in horror. "No, Sensei! As much as I desire never to part from you, I cannot condone your sacrifice. What of your own life, your friends, and your duties at Yamanouchi?"

Sensei offered a wan smile. "I am an old man, my Yoshiko. I have lived a full life, and my own destiny has been fulfilled. Thanks to Kim Possible, the Earth is now safe from the threat of the Lorwardians. As the Mystical Monkey Master, Ron Stoppable has finally gained complete control over his powers, and together with Rufus-san, they shall continue to protect the Earth from peril. Yamanouchi is in excellent hands as well, and is now being led by Yori, a former pupil of mine in whom I have the utmost confidence. My work in the physical realm has been fully completed, and I have no qualms about passing the torch on to those who are eminently qualified to do so."

He sighed heavily. "Besides, it is long past the time to enter my rest as well. And to be blessed by beginning eternity reunited with my one true love fills my soul with unspeakable joy."

Even in her spirit form, tears began to fill Yoshiko's eyes. "Nothing would please my soul more, my Sensei. But I cannot allow myself to deny you of your physical life merely to fulfill my own happiness. I will agree only if you are absolutely certain."

Sensei nodded with complete confidence. "I am. And let there not be the slightest lingering of doubt in your _own_ mind, my love."

The aliens spoke again, but this time with one single voice. "We are prepared. The portal may now allow both of you to pass. But be forewarned that this decision is irrevocable. Even our considerable powers have their limits: once you pass through, there will be no turning back."

Sensei chuckled. "Nor would we want to, my alien friends. Are you ready, my Yoshiko?"

As she looked longingly at Sensei, she smiled and nodded. "Hai. I am ready."

As Sensei and Yoshiko gazed deeply into the other's eyes, they allowed themselves to pass through the portal. In another few moments, the portal gently closed and disappeared in a sparkle of coruscating color.

Back on Earth, Sensei slowly exhaled his final breath, a deep smile of contentment gracing his now still physical form.

The aliens smiled, and slowly turned toward home.

* * *

_This chapter is respectfully dedicated to those who lost their lives in the recent San Bruno, CA explosion and fire, which has devastated the neighborhood of my youth. May those they left behind be comforted by the knowledge of God's peace and grace in the midst of suffering and loss, and the hope of an eternal reunion. You will be sorely missed._

_Peace,_

_MA_


End file.
